


Of Blades, Shields and Unwanted Destinies

by WeirdWorldOrder



Series: Old Works [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Atbash, Bill Cipher Being Bill Cipher, Blood, Demon Tad Strange, Demonic Guardian-AU, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/M, M/M, Magic Pines Twins, Obsessive Behavior, Older Characters, Older Pines Twins, Possessive Behavior, Slow Build, Swearing, Trust Issues, Violence, Worldbuilding, humanoid bill cipher, licking things to claim them, rating for future chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-07-10 16:52:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 105,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6996595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdWorldOrder/pseuds/WeirdWorldOrder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*Being rewritten as new work*</p><p>Mabel Pines was finally going to meet the demon she would be paired with.  Her twin brother, Dipper, tagged along to Gravity Falls, Oregon with their Grunkle Stan.  Mabel was prepared to hone her battle prowess and defend the world.  Meanwhile Dipper hoped to convince their Great Uncle Ford to take him under his wing.  He may not learn spells as powerful as Mabel would, and their parents were not too keen on his interest in it, but he certainly could not allow his sister to face her destiny alone.  They would take this on together even if he did not have a partner of his own.</p><p>Or did he?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Rather short introduction to this little world I'm building. This is a twist on the Demonic Guardian AU. It just kind of spiraled after a bit.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning

 

In ancient times the magical and mortal realms were separate.  Humans lacked any ability or knowledge of magic in those days.  They had their beliefs, their superstitions, of course.  Humanity had no idea what lied beyond the thin veil, or even that said veil existed.  They went about their lives, short as they were.  They thrived in their simple existence.  Ignorance truly is bliss after all.

 

The first instance of a human harnessing magic has long been disputed among historians.  Even the first infant to show potential for the art has been sought with varying results.  All that is known to this day is that the reaction to such feats was not a good one.  Humans have always feared what they could not understand.  These magically inclined few were outcasts, hunted, and slaughtered.  Despite this attempt by the supposedly “normal” masses, more and more of their brethren developed an ability to harness this unknown power even if it was just sensing its existence.

 

Near the end of the Dark Ages humans discovered the possible source of the sudden appearance of magic.  Deep in a forest a small group came across a literal tear in the very fabric of reality.  Magic had poured out of it to the point of altering the immediate area.  Sentient rocks, animals capable of human speech, and walking trees were all reported to reside around the tear.

 

For years humans sought a way to close the gate to a world they knew nothing about.  With sacrifices and grand spells they sealed the breach, temporarily.  Each time the opening returned larger than before.  What had once been a steady, slow growth was rapidly expanding like a wildfire.  More magic poured into the mortal realm, leaving mutations of the plants and animals and spreading mile by mile.  Eventually something besides magic crossed from the other side.

 

There are many documents referring to what creature emerged from that tear.  Each of them have different accounts from the last, agreeing on few details.  The being that emerged was bipedal with beastly features somehow combined with a man’s.  It spoke few words, in a language none could understand.  These words are lost to time now.  The features of this beast are where documents vary.  Some claim it to be some form of bird-man hybrid, while others claim the abomination to possess a lion’s head, or a serpent’s tail.

 

The gathered humans, magic users and warriors alike, agreed only that such a beast should never be allowed in our world.  The demon spoke again as it was confronted by the frightened mortals.  Again its words could not be understood by the people.  The creature was brought down, revealing a warning or a curse to those left standing.  These were the only words that were ever deciphered, long after they came to pass:  They are coming.

 

More tears were discovered years later.  They popped up with more frequency, and with more demons emerging from them.  Each encounter between humans and these monstrosities left more dead.  The number of magically inclined mortals dwindled.  The invaders seemed to be getting stronger each time, but most were still brought down.  Those that were not were ones that fled before even engaging the humans waiting for them.  These demons went into hiding.  Perhaps that was all these creatures wanted back then.  Mortals continued to fight against the invading creatures, until one proved to be too much.

 

The reign of demons began soon after.  Humans were forced into hiding, with little success.  The beasts continued to enter the world.  It was at this time that mortals witnessed that not all demons were aligned.  Many of those that passed through the barrier were slaughtered by their own, a form of colored energy leaving them to be absorbed by the one that had slain them.

 

Humans lived in a constant state of fear at the thought of being discovered, captured, and tortured in whatever ways these demons preferred.  While mortals struggled to survive demons warred for dominance over the new world.  The influx of new forces had ceased, and those already within the mortal plane fought to see who was worthy to unite them.  The land suffered in the process.  For a decade this went on until something forced the demons to split into two factions.

 

One of them came to humanity then.  A demon assuming the appearance of a man sought to show mortals the magical potential they possessed.  In doing so he only asked that they take up banner against the more numerous opposing forces.  Hesitantly humans agreed, believing it was their only chance to take their world back.  Indeed it was, but not without heavy casualties.

 

This beast led the humans against his kind with a handful of other demons.  They struggled to push back the now dominant race.  During their battles more were rallied to their cause, human and demon alike.  There was a constant threat of infighting in those days.  Humans swore they would not rest until all demons were forced out of their world.  Demons refused to return to whatever awaited them beyond the veil.  A commanding demon promised a peace between them, where humans could have their civilizations returned and demons would guard against more of their brethren.

 

The combined forces of humans and these outcasted beings forced back those that sought to rule the mortal plane.  With the enemy defeated those that aided humanity worked to seal the access points from the world beyond.  While the existing portals refused to be closed entirely they could at least be halted in their growth.  A time of peace followed, but all things have an ending.

 

Rogue demons began attacking human settlements.  The mortals quickly discovered that they would once again be forced to deal with these invasions on their own.  Mankind was infuriated by this betrayal by the twisted species.  They wished for answers, for a reason to these events.  A few demons proved to still be loyal to humanity.  Where had they been when the attacks started?  Why had they not warned of the coming upheaval?

 

The abomination behind everything was eventually brought down.  An ancient curse became known that would strip the being of his power.  A terrible spell was used that separated body and mind.  The demon would never again be whole, forced to aimlessly drift between worlds while their body was forever inaccessible.  Once again humans came out on top, but this time they would not be so trusting of their supposed allies.  Any remaining demon was to be bound and greatly weakened.  There were those that managed to escape this fate.  They fled and went into hiding as they did best.

 

Demons were never again to be witnessed near the dwellings of man.  For centuries this was the case.  Then a child was discovered with an odd marking on their inner wrist.  The image of a circle with a flame inside was etched in dark lines over the child’s skin.  When the mortal came of age color appeared, and not long after a demon surfaced.  This long hidden beast revealed the mark of a rose matching the human’s strange marking.

 

Magic will likely never leave the world.  Generations have studied and perfected its art.  The greatest of the magic wielders are declared Charges by human and demon alike.  They are designated by a marking discovered around the age of ten.  Upon their coming of age this symbol will guide them to their Guardian.  Partnerships between humans and demons are a mysterious thing to outsiders.  These pairings are tasked with protecting the world from the returning threat of hostile demons.  Should the barriers ever be torn open again, they will be the only defense against the other side.

 

These are part of the accounts passed through the ages to help aspiring Charges.  It is an encouragement of what they fight for, and a warning against trusting the deceptive demons including their own.  Either way it is a great honor to be bestowed such power and potential.  Of course, these are the accounts of mortals.  What do such short lived creatures honestly remember of the true events, or what is to come?

  
  



	2. Gravity Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel Pines was finally going to meet the demon she would be paired with. Her twin brother, Dipper, tagged along to Gravity Falls, Oregon with their Grunkle Stan. Mabel was prepared to hone her battle prowess and defend the world. Meanwhile Dipper hoped to convince their Great Uncle Ford to take him under his wing. He may not learn spells as powerful as Mabel would, and their parents were not too keen on his interest in it, but he certainly could not allow his sister to face her destiny alone. They would take this on together even if he did not have a partner of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured this would show more of what's in store with this tale I'm cooking up. Mostly just introducing the characters, minus 3-5.  
> Anyway, enjoy and please let me know your thoughts.

Twenty year old Dipper Pines sat in the back seat of his Grunkle Stan’s jalopy with a book.  The hood of his navy blue jacket was pulled up over his head as he studied one page after the other.  Within the textbook was the basic history of Charges, and their demonic partners.  Dipper had already read over the information twice, but he wanted it committed to memory.  He wanted to infer a demon’s power level just by looking at it, to figure out its elemental weakness, but most importantly he wanted the warnings ingrained in his mind because he knew his sister certainly would not heed them.

 

Mabel sat in the passenger seat up by Stanley.  Her hands were tucked up in the sleeves of her glittery purple cat sweater.  She flopped them around in her impatient excitement to finally be on this journey of discovery.  Her brown hair that was normally well past her lower back had been cut to shoulder length.  It was a testament to her commitment in becoming a Charge.  Stan had hardly recognized the brunette when he came to drive the twins up.  The girl had had a real modern day Rapunzel thing going on before.

 

The thing about Mabel, besides her bubbly nature, was that she tended to see the good in people.  Of course this was not a bad quality to have, but it did make Dipper worry for her.  Dipper was practically the complete opposite and always seemed to think that others had an ulterior motive.  He could understand why others called him paranoid.  He still saw nothing wrong with it.  The issue was that Mabel extended this trust to everyone,  _ everything _ .

 

It was as if they had attended completely different schools throughout their lives.  Now, Dipper knew this wasn’t true.  Mabel just wanted to give everyone an equal chance.  The problem was this extended to  _ demons _ .  They had taken the same classes most of their lives.  Mabel knew damn well how dangerous the invaders could be.  Of course she was hardly the only person to believe in giving the creatures a chance.  It seemed more like Dipper was the outlier.  He was the only one apparently taking the textbook information to heart.

 

“You’re wasting your time in that book, Dipper,” Stan said as he glanced in the rearview mirror.  His hands flexed over the steering wheel in their black gloves.  Few outside of the family knew why he wore them.  It was to hide the robotic arm his brother had made for him.  Not even the twins knew how the man lost his right arm.  “The information in there is nothing but garbage.”

 

“This garbage is exactly what we learned in school,” Dipper countered.  His eyes drifted back down to the open page.

 

“Well, you’re gonna have to unlearn it,” Stan said with a more authoritative tone.  “That junk all comes from people who can’t possibly understand the importance of the human-demon partnership.  They cultivate distrust, and a lack of trust will only get one if not both killed in the end.”

 

“I thought demons with charges couldn’t be killed,” Mabel commented.

 

Dipper kept quiet on that particular subject.  It was the only reason a demon protected their charge.  At least that is what the brunet got out of all the information he knew.  Perhaps the potential consequences for killing the human also played a part, but the adolescent wasn’t sure exactly what those were.  Such backlashes had been hinted at, but none of his teachers ever went into detail.  He had yet to find a clear answer in any book either.

 

“Well, they can be,” Stan said.  His tone indicated that he would go no further down that particular road.  All the same he continued in a near whisper.  There was anger as well as regret lacing the single word.  “Apparently.”

 

The brunet closed up his book then.  His eyes drifted to the spot beside him.  A simple cane rested there with an eight-ball handle.  Stan referred to it as his Lucky Eight and didn’t appear to go anywhere without it.  He was oddly protective of the cane from what the twins had witnessed.  Dipper couldn’t understand why the object seemed to draw his attention in that moment.  He shook his head and looked back to the front of the car.  Mabel had her face pressed up against her window as the sign for Gravity Falls came into view.

 

“Don’t be putting smudges on my windows,” Grunkle Stan scolded.  “I have a hard enough time seeing as is.”

 

Mabel giggled, but pulled her face back from the glass.  She let out a joyous ‘whoop’ once they passed the sign.  There was nothing but forest on either side for a bit longer.  The back of Dipper’s neck suddenly became exceedingly itchy.  He lowered his hood to remedy the issue only for pain to blossom the second his hand brushed the area.  Dipper quickly put the covering back over his head and tried to ignore the sensation.  He must have been sitting for too long.  Craning his neck to read most likely had not helped matters.

 

The actual town could be seen up ahead.  There were people walking about.  Mable squinted and leaned closer to make out the upcoming shops.  Gravity Falls had managed to somehow avoid gaining any of the big chain stores.  They were rather protective of their Mom and Pop shops in this little town.  Stanley turned down a dirt road before they really got into the heart of the town.

 

“Ford is waiting at the Mystery Shack,” Stan said in order to circumvent any protests from his passengers.

 

The twins hadn’t seen Great Uncle Ford in three years, but they had spoken over the phone with him.  The man was renowned for being the strongest unbonded magic user of this era.  How he attained such skill was a question many scholars wanted answered.  It was rare for magic users without a Guardian to accomplish half of the things Stanford Pines had.  Granted it was known that much of his contributions to the world combined the art with advanced technologies.  Where he found those was another mystery.

 

Dipper was eager to learn from the eldest Pines.  Great Uncle Ford had agreed to it after two years of coaxing.  Technically it had been much longer that Dipper showed an interest, but he had never outright asked to be tutored.  That changed when Mabel’s mark filled in, and Dipper really took to studying the demonic race.  There was no way he was letting his sister take on such creatures alone.

 

It did not take much time along the dirt road for them to reach the house practically in the middle of the woods.  The sign plastered on the roof read Mystery Hack because of the missing S.  The twins knew about their grunkle’s little tourist trap.  It was surprisingly successful thanks to Stan’s ability to con anyone into just about anything.  He mostly just concerned himself with conning them out of money.  Ford tended to let his brother handle all that, but he did help make the attractions from time to time.  It helped with the authenticity, or the appearance of it.  This, of course, would be the first time Dipper and Mabel ever saw the place.

 

The adolescents still questioned why this was the case.  Their grunkles had visited them a number of times as they were growing up.  The Stans had obligations that made leaving Gravity Falls hard, but not impossible.  What seemed impossible was letting Dipper and Mabel see the little town up until now.  They both wanted answers as to why.  Perhaps it was the same reason Mabel had to wait two whole years to meet her partner.

 

“Will we get to meet the others?”  Mabel asked.  She barely allowed Stan to park before opening her door.  They had been traveling for a while, and she was eager to see what Gravity Falls had to offer.

 

“Yeah, Soos and Wendy should be inside,” Stan replied.  He shook his head at his great niece.  The girl had never really grown out of that hyperactivity from her preteens.  It wasn’t a bad thing; it just made him tired for her.

 

Stan forced himself out of the old car.  He stretched and cracked his back.  Long car rides were not good for an old man like him.  His door was closed just as Dipper was opening the back.  The brunet passed the eight-ball cane to his grunkle.  Stanley took it in his false hand with a smile that did not reach his eyes.  Dipper understood that the man was grateful.  He really didn’t understand the man’s attachment to the thing, though.  Grunkle Stan always gave his cane a sorrowful look as though he had let someone down, if only for a split second.

 

“Come on, you slowpokes,” Mabel called to them.  She was bouncing in place, waiting to get her luggage from the trunk.

 

“You know what happens when you try rushing old people,” Dipper joked lightly.  They shared a chuckle at their grunkle’s expense.  The brunet watched the old man unlock the trunk for them.

 

“Laugh it up now, kiddies,” Stan stated in a mock warning tone.  He gave both of them a hard look without any real bite to it.  He lifted the hand holding the key in a false threat.  “I’ll have you scrubbing the toilets in the shop for a month each.”

 

“No,” Mabel whined before bursting into giggles alongside her twin.

 

“Is that the sound of my grand niece in distress?”  A new voice inquired.

 

Stanford Pines stood on the porch with a smile at seeing his family.  Mabel called to the man before rushing up to hug him.  Her momentum almost toppled them over, but Ford miraculously held his ground.  He chuckled as he returned the hug.  The girl had grown a since he last saw her.  Mabel’s head stopped just below her great uncle’s chin.  When the two separated Mabel led Ford over to Dipper.

 

The young man appeared to have also had a growth spurt in Stanford’s absence.  Dipper was about an inch shorter than his great uncle, which put him at roughly the same height as Stanley oddly enough.  The boy had finally surpassed his sister before their senior year of high school.  He lacked the muscle most Pines’ men gained.  Stan had discussed creating a workout schedule for the brunet.  He even knew just the person for the job.  That could wait until the twins were better settled in, however.  Ford took in the boy, no, man, before him.

 

“It’s good to see you, Dipper,” Ford said.  The six fingered man opened his arms in the offering of a hug.

 

“You, too, Great Uncle Ford,” the brunet replied as he embraced his mentor.

 

“Okay, okay,” Stanley interrupted.  He pointed his thumb at the open trunk.  “These bags aren’t going to get themselves inside, people.”

 

The younger twins grabbed their things and headed up to the porch.  Stanley slammed the lid shut before joining them.  Ford held the door for his young relatives.  Inside the Shack was a little gift shop area.  The walls were lined with shirts and hats.  There were a few aisles of trinkets.  A glance at the visible tags revealed that much of it was overpriced.  Mabel and Dipper expected nothing less from their Grunkle Stan.  Deeper in, they could make out the false taxidermy attractions.

 

There was a redheaded woman that couldn’t have been much older than the twins leaning against the cash register.  She wore a green flannel shirt buttoned up to mostly hide the white top underneath.  Her legs were covered by a pair of worn blue jeans.  Said jeans were tucked into muddy brown boots.  The woman’s fiery hair reached to her lower back.  The redhead seemed pretty laid back as she offered the twins a smile once she noticed them.  They both concluded that this was Wendy.

 

Standing beside her was a heavy set man that couldn’t be older than thirty.  He had a dark green shirt on with an even darker giant question mark.  A pair of cargo shorts covered his lower half and a simple baseball cap adorned his head.  The man had been talking to his redheaded companion until she acknowledged the new arrivals.  His head turned to the twins and his face lit up as though someone had bought him an entire sweets factory.  He must be Soos.  His buckteeth and the shape of his head sort of resembled a rodent.  Mabel thought Soos was cute.  The man wasted little time making his way over to the twins.

 

“Welcome to the Mystery Shack, dudes,” the man greeted with a friendly and joyous smile.  He offered his hand to the pair.  “You can call me Soos.”

 

“I’m Mabel, and this is Dipper,” the brunette said with equal enthusiasm.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Soos,” Dipper said as he took the offered hand in greeting.  Soos brought his other hand up to more firmly welcome the young Pines.

 

“Hey, new blood,” Wendy said.  She had approached while the twins were distracted by her coworker.  Her smile was friendly with a hint of mischief in her green eyes.  “Surprised you got here today, and in one piece even.  Can’t be too careful when riding with Mr. Pines.”

 

“I’ll remember that the next time you want me to drive somewhere,” Stan commented grumpily.  The old man was not really offended, but he did have a reputation as being the cranky old twin.

 

“Guess I’ll really have to get Soos to fix my bike then,” Wendy laughed in response.  She focused back on Dipper and Mabel.  “Anyways, I’m Wendy.”

 

“Where did Strange float off to?”  Stanley asked.  He had figured the other would be here to meet the twins.  It seemed a little rude for him not to be.

 

“He had to check something out in the woods,” Ford said.  The two shared a look that clearly stated they would discuss something later.  Stanford turned his attention back to their new residents.  “I’m sure he’ll show up soon.  Let’s get you two settled in your rooms in the meantime.”

 

“Who is Strange?”  Dipper questioned.

 

This seemed to confuse Wendy and Soos.  The pair shared a glance before directing their attention to the Stans.  Soos eventually shrugged and helped take the twins’ bags.  Dipper and Mabel had heard of Stan’s employees from their grunkles’ visits.  When did this Strange person show up that they hadn’t heard of him?  It made the male twin suspicious.  What kind of a name was ‘Strange’ anyway?  A rather odd one, that’s for sure.

 

“Tad Strange,” Stanford clarified.  “You’ll meet him soon enough.”

 

This was enough to get the point across to the two employees.  The Stans wanted to wait for Tad to be present to explain things to the twins.  This was not, however, satisfactory to Dipper.  He didn’t like not having these answers.  He hated it more that it was his family keeping secrets.  Who was this Tad Strange?  The more he thought about it the more Dipper disliked the potential answer.  He would get to the bottom of this one way or another.  He would not be left in the dark like some naive child.  Dipper rolled his shoulders at the now persistent feeling behind his neck.

 

 

  
  
  


Leaves crunched underfoot deep in the forest.  A man walked through the woods in a purple pinstripe suit and black dress pants.  His head sported a black bowler hat atop his dark hair.  In contrast his skin appeared exceedingly pale.  He was clean shaven with vibrant violet eyes holding slit pupils.  Purple dress shoes came to a halt at the side of a large tree.  His attire showed no signs that he had treaded through the deep foliage.

 

The creatures of the forest had paid the being little mind as he trekked on by.  He had seen too few for this time of day and year.  Something had spooked them.  He had sensed it, and he was sure any demon nearby had as well.  This area, however, appeared normal at first glance.  He knew all too well that no animal dared come near this patch of forest.  It was surprising that plants dared grow here.  Certainly no human ever ventured this far.  They had stayed away from this particular spot for centuries.  It was superstition mostly, but even such beliefs have a degree of reason and truth behind them.

 

There was no doubt the animals had sensed the change here.  He knew what it meant, much as he wished otherwise.  Ignorance truly would be bliss in this moment.  The energy that permeated the area was unmistakable.  It was weakened, bound to this area regardless of how far it attempted to reach.  He would recognize this power anywhere even if it was not as suffocating as he knew it could be.  He had not encountered this power in three decades.

 

A hand covered in purple silk braced against the bark of the tree.  The demon continued on his path just a bit further.  He followed the retreating energy he had sensed.  It had brushed against his own and immediately turned back.  Not out of fear, but more like a petulant child not wanting to be reminded of his existence.  He doubted this being feared anything.  Well, being trapped perhaps, as they were.  He stopped when he gazed upon the frozen image.

 

“Why chose now to awaken, brother?”  His deep voice carried through the small secluded area.  He did not expect an answer.

 

Wind swept through the tiny clearing behind a tree.  Leaves were dragged away on the strong gust.  Tad could feel the rage rolling along with the warm air.  He frowned at the thought that the other was essentially throwing a tantrum at his presence.  He would never say it out loud of course.  There was still a deal of respect for the other demon, the stronger demon.  Granted it had taken quite the hit through discovering what they were truly capable of, what they truly were.

 

Across from Tad Strange rested a half buried statue.  It appeared to be made of stone, and mainly triangular in shape.  A tall, thin top hat was perched at the top corner.  One arm seemed to be outstretched as though reaching for something.  The other one was trapped in the ground.  The single eye in the triangle’s center was wide open with a slit pupil.  Strange could imagine the being within glaring at him, however.

 

The statue appeared to be made of stone, yet it was stronger than anything this or perhaps any world held.  The elements had done nothing to it.  Even with the ground trapping half and moss attempting to cover the image it was clear the being within would not succumb to such nuisances.  Centuries had passed since the last mortal attempted to break the statue.  Tad could still recall each and every failed try that resulted in broken swords, smashed hammers, and other damaged weapons.  No matter what the statue held strong.  The body had somehow retained the defiant spirit.  He wondered if having the being whole once more changed the durability.

 

The longer Tad Strange stood there the more he felt of that rolling anger.  He was not welcomed here.  His once brother wanted nothing to do with him.  Well, unless it was to enact their revenge against him.  Tad was saddened by this thought.  If only there was a way things could have been different.  If only he knew a way to show the stronger demon a different path.

 

Tad lifted his right hand to the opposite forearm.  His gaze fell to the ground just in front of his feet.  He frowned in thought.  Perhaps he should not have come here.  This place always gave him mixed feelings.  Tad had been coming here even before the two halves were forced into one once more.  Back then he had been happy to glimpse the other’s image, but yearned to know if they were listening.  For thirty years now he had known the other was in there; trapped, dormant.  Strange released a saddened sigh.

 

“She's here, you know?”  Tad spoke up again.  A tentative smile curved his lips.  He looked back up at the statue.  “I have a charge.  After all this time.  I haven’t met her yet, but I’ve heard about her.”  He glanced away then.  “I should be meeting her right now, and instead I’m visiting you.”  There was no malice in his statement, just fact.

 

The demon thought about all the things the Stans had told him about their great niece.  Her name was Mabel.  It sounded like a nice name.  She sounded caring, fun loving, and friendly from the knowledge he had been gifted about her.  She would be his charge, his Shooting Star.  It felt odd to only now be discovering that he had one, but other demons were apparently gaining charges as well.  It was strange, but a good feeling as well.  He just hoped he could live up to expectations.  He wanted to do right by Mabel, to protect and help her.  It was one of the reasons Tad had requested the Stans not tell her about him when his square was first discovered.

 

Strange turned to leave the small clearing.  He really should have stayed to meet Mabel.  Better late than never, he supposed.  He would help hone her skills while her brother was tutored by Stanford.  They would be an unstoppable force, of that he had little doubt.  Tad glanced behind him once more.  There was still a sense of dread because of what brought him here.

 

“I truly wish things could have been different between us in the end,” Tad confessed.  He knew there would be no answer.  The rage had even subsided.  The other demon was most likely bored with his presence.  “Good bye, Bill.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been tossing this idea around in my head for some time. Meaning bits of it have been hinted elsewhere ;)


	3. Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins get settled into the Mystery Shack. Mabel is finally united with her Guardian, Tad Strange. Dipper is wary, but everyone else seems to trust the demon. Something continues to feel off to the brunet. Perhaps it is just the new surroundings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yellow, everyone! I know it's been some time, so here is the anticipated meeting of Mabel and Tad.
> 
> Please leave kudos and let me know your thoughts.

The actual Mystery Shack took up most of the downstairs. There was a kitchen and area to sit and watch television, but the rest of the first floor was devoted to the gift shop and odd attractions. Dipper and Mabel were quickly informed that there was only one bathroom for them to share. There were also only the two available rooms for them to decide on.

The first room the twins were shown had previously been occupied by Great Uncle Ford. He had a space in his lab to sleep instead, which was located down in the basement. There was a bed available along with a couch. This one seemed to be in better condition than the one downstairs. A writing desk was placed near the door with a simple chair. It would be perfect for Dipper. Mabel could also use the space to sketch out her craft ideas, though. They would view their second option before deciding who would take what.

Soos directed them to the next level of the house. The attic room was spacious, but also barren. It was also rather dark due to the black bag taped up over the window. There was a bed to one side with a nightstand and lamp. That was about it, really. There wasn’t even a carpet to protect from splinters. It definitely looked like a place to acquire plenty of splinters. The window had a ledge to sit on that could be used as a resting area.

Dipper found his eyes drawn to the covered window. He walked toward it, further into the room. It felt as though something compelled him to get a better look at what their grunkles had apparently tried to hide. It was clear not many ventured up here at all. The irritation at his neck increased when he reached the stand just to the side of the covered window. The brunet brought his hand up to deal with it. With a smack of his palm the area was left tingling. Perhaps it was a bug of some kind. The desire to see the window lessened considerably.

“What do you think, Dipping sauce?” Mabel asked. The brunette was looking around the room with clear unease. Something didn’t feel right in this room, but she had no idea why or what. She did not miss the trance like state with which her brother had walked into it.

“Well, do you want the other room?” Dipper asked, already knowing the answer. He could see that Mabel did not like this room. Perhaps there was something off about it, but he doubted there was any cause for alarm. He bit his bottom lip in contemplation. Something was telling him to take the attic in place of his twin. Dipper removed his backpack to solidify the decision. “I think this will do for me.”

“If you’re sure, broseph,” Mabel said. She did look a bit worried to leave him, though. The brunette brushed it off. Surely there was nothing dangerous about their grunkles’ home. This must be new place jitters or something. “I’m going to put my stuff in Grunkle Ford’s old room then, and I’ll see you back downstairs.”

“Sounds good to me,” Dipper agreed.

The brunet placed his pack on the bed. He smiled at Soos before the man turned to follow Mabel back down. Dipper turned the lamp on to get some better lighting. It had some sort of energy saver bulb. Great Uncle Ford had probably made it himself. Mocha eyes fell on the garbage bag hiding the outside world once more. That compulsion to rip it away returned. The twenty year old rationalized that he would prefer to see outside. Plus it would save more on lighting.

A hand brushed the dark plastic. Dipper rolled his shoulders at the sensation between them. He would be so mad if a mosquito had gotten him already. His fingers grabbed onto the taped up garbage bag. He pulled it away. The tape was surprisingly strong. Dipper yanked harder until the sunlight began to shine through. The covering was halfway off at least. The brunet paused when his eyes landed on the oddly shaped window.

It wasn’t really oddly shaped, but it had a strange design. Something about it made him glad he did not have Mabel stay here. There was an old stained glass quality to it. It held a reddish tint with the design of a triangle depicted. The triangle appeared to have an eye, however. It felt like the image was staring right at him, through him. A shiver ran down Dipper’s spine, yet he somehow found it not entirely unpleasant. The base of his neck turned to more of a tingle than an itch. He reached forward to unhook the latch for the window and peer outside.

“Mabel, Dipper, did you pick your rooms yet?” Great Uncle Ford called up to the twins.

Dipper pulled his hand away from the strangely haunting window. He felt reluctant to leave it. The brunet shook his head at such thoughts. This place was making him feel weird, but he figured he would get used to it. The adolescent turned back to the door in order to make his way downstairs. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his blue hoodie. One reached up to make sure the hood looked decent.

Mabel was waiting at the bottom of the attic steps for her twin. Her usual brilliant smile was in place. She had had her braces removed a year ago, and they had certainly done their job. The young woman was still as bubbly as ever. Dipper chuckled while watching her bounce around him. They were both excited to be here, but the slightly younger twin had always been more reserved. He figured Mabel was showing it enough for both of them. When he started training with Great Uncle Ford the joy would certainly be uncontainable.

The pair returned to the ground floor with matching smiles on their faces. Dipper was eager to know when his training would start. Mabel was equally as eager to know how she was to truly locate and bond with her new partner. She felt bad for leaving them alone for two whole years, and then there was the thought of how long they had gone without even knowing they were part of a duo beforehand. It did not matter now, of course. She would make it up to them all the same.

Wendy was back to leaning against the cash register. A glance around revealed that Soos was repairing one of the higher shelves. He was a reliable handyman. Grunkle Stan was missing from the little gathering for one reason or another. It only took a moment for the man to come out of the kitchen area. Another man appeared behind him.

The brunette was instantly drawn to the new face. He possessed strong features, and kind eyes. Mabel blinked when she noticed the violet color and slit pupils of said eyes. His ears had a slight point at the tips as well. Neither twin had actually seen a demon up close before, but this man obviously was not human. Mabel took in every inch of the being she could. The purple of his outfit reminded her of the color her mark had taken on two years ago. Realization quickly followed. The brunette approached the demon then.

“Hi, I’m Mabel,” she said. The other seemed startled by her forwardness at first, but quickly recovered. His smile was even more dazzling than her greatest sweaters. The words Mabel would have continued with died in her throat as the demon bent down on one knee. He stretched a hand out to take one of hers.

“I am Tad Strange,” he said in greeting before giving her hand a gentlemanly kiss. Mabel couldn’t stop the blush even if she tried. She noted how his little bowler hat floated just above his head. “However, I believe you can simply call me your Guardian.”

The brunette felt her breath catch at his words. She would have said something similar if her mouth had not betrayed her. Tad’s violet eyes stared into her mocha ones. He continued to smile up at her face even as the twenty year old struggled to recall what words were. Behind his sister Dipper rolled his eyes. After a few minutes Mabel gave up on finding words. Her arms wrapped around the demon knelt before her and pulled him into a hug.

Tad took barely a moment to return the gesture. One arm wrapped around Mabel’s back while the other held the back of her head. Mabel tucked her head under the demon’s chin as her arms connected around the back of Tad’s neck. This was a moment that both had waited for, for far too long. Granted Tad had waited much longer to even learn that he was to be a Guardian, but it did not matter now. Mabel eventually pulled away so that her partner could stand up.

“This is amazing,” Mabel exclaimed in her excitement. The brunette was a tornado of energy in that moment. Her eyes widened as she stared up at Strange. “Oh, oh, what’s my symbol? It’s in the same place, right? Can I see it?”

The demon chuckled before rolling up the sleeve of his purple pinstripe suit. The left sleeve was pushed up to his elbow to reveal the matching mark on his forearm. A yellow star with a rainbow tail was emblazoned there. Mabel wanted to grab Tad’s arm to study the symbol for hours. It could also be a decent excuse to find out what that pale skin felt like. It looked smooth, but demon skin could be different from a human’s. Instead she glanced away from the revealed marking to pull up the sleeve of her cat sweater.

“Mabel,” Dipper said suddenly. He was being cautious, since she wouldn’t be.

The female twin glanced to her brother with an exasperated expression. Dipper really needed to stop being so paranoid. Had he so quickly forgotten what Grunkle Stan had said? This was her partner, her Guardian. There was no way Tad would hurt her. Mabel could understand that her twin was looking out for her, she really could, but he needed to let these things go. Part of her wished that Dipper had acquired a guardian as well. He would see how ridiculous he was being then.

They shared pointed looks at one another bordering on outright glares. Clearly Dipper would have to remind Mabel of their schooling on the subject later. The brunette wasn’t likely to listen either way. Tad remained silent throughout this exchange, everyone did. The Stans did roll their eyes, however. Stanford decided that he would have to explain some things to his grand nephew. Mabel took to ignoring her twin when she had a sudden realization.

“I made you something,” Mabel said to Tad. She quickly dashed off to get the item from her bag. “Don’t go anywhere; I’ll be right back with your present!”

Strange watched the young woman dark off. She truly was a bubbly sort, but he did not mind. He didn’t believe she needed to go through the trouble. It was a nice gesture all the same. Tad had not gotten Mabel anything, however. The dark haired demon turned his attention to the remaining twin. He offered Dipper a smile. It was obvious the boy was concerned for his sister. Perhaps Tad could offer that as their common ground.

“You must be Dipper,” Tad said in greeting.

“Yeah,” the brunet responded before crossing his arms. He watched the demon suspiciously. “How come you’ve heard of us, but you have never come up?”

“My apologies,” Tad said with a slight bow. “I was nervous when learning Mabel bore my mark. I admit learning all I could about her while hiding from the both of you was unfair.”

“Were you ashamed of the destruction you’ve caused?” Dipper asked rather bluntly. “Mabel deserves to know how many people you’ve killed.”

“Dipper,” Ford scolded the boy. The brunet at least appeared apologetic, but not to the demon.

“I have killed none but my own,” Tad confessed. He was clearly mournful of this fact. While his first meeting with Mabel had gone better than expected it was clear Dipper would need time to warm up to him. It was unclear how much time they had, however. “I am more than willing to answer any of your questions.”

“How many do you fool with that lie?” Dipper continued.

“Dude, lay off Tad already,” Wendy cut in. She could understand the brunet worrying for his sister, but this was too much for her to just stand by and watch. “He said he would answer your questions. Maybe wait for Mabel to get back with whatever gift she brought. Tad’s a cool guy, okay?”

This was enough to shut the twenty year old up, for the time being. It was true that he knew nothing about this demon. He should, though. What reason would their grunkles have for keeping the demon a secret? Tad simply being nervous and worrying about living up to expectations, or whatever, just didn’t fly with Dipper. Thankfully it did not take much longer for Mabel to come running back down.

The brunette smiled from ear to ear as she presented her partner with a sweater. It was a vibrant purple with a slightly darker square on the chest. Mabel had made it herself once her mark filled in. She would have to make one for herself that matched the one on Tad. The sweater was made big to be safe.

Tad thanked her after taking in the details of the top. He proceeded to loosen his tie and unbutton his suit. There was a white shirt underneath with short sleeves. Once the purple pinstripe was removed Strange pulled the sweater over his head. Mabel put her fists up to her mouth to keep from squealing in delight. He appeared to like it. Tad did like it. He smiled at his partner and turned in order to show her the fit. It was perfect in Mabel’s eyes.

“Now that I know my symbol I can make a matching one,” Mable said eagerly. This got a wider smile from the demon.

“That sounds wonderful, my shooting star,” Tad said. “First, however, I believe I should answer whatever questions you and your brother have.”

“Oh, oh, when did you meet Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford?” Mabel asked to start. She was excited to learn about her partner. “How long have you been in Gravity Falls?”

“Perhaps we should do this further inside,” Ford suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Stan agreed while making his way to his favorite chair and the television. “Soos, Wendy, you can go home now if you like. Don’t expect to share my food if you hang around, though.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then, Mr. Pines,” Soos said. “Abuelita could use the help making supper.”

“I should make sure my dad and brothers haven’t torn the cabin down,” Wendy said, making her way for the door. She paused when passing Dipper to give him some private advice. The redhead kept her smile as she whispered. “Just give Tad a chance, man. I assure you he wants Mabel safe as much as you do.”

The brunet stared into green eyes silently. Dipper eventually nodded after a bit of time. Everyone else seemed to trust the demon, so Tad at least deserved a chance. Clearly Stanley and Stanford trusted the violet eyed demon if they let him in their house. It would help in learning more about the bond between charges and their demonic guardians.

Despite his characteristic eagerness to learn Dipper refrained from following Mabel and Tad. The twenty year old watched Wendy and Soos exit the Mystery Shack. He continued watching the door even after it closed. Something urged him to follow. Dipper wanted to explore the area, especially the forest. He wanted to have a better idea of the creatures that resided there first. That did not diminish the current desire to explore now. Dipper managed to shake his head of such temptations. It was then that he realized he was the last to leave the gift shop area.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry I took so long to get this rolling again. I'm struggling with edits to the last few chapters of ICEW.
> 
> There are a couple chapters already done up for this, so I'll probably put them out over the weekends as long as I can. This will be a slow build for the time being. Once other characters are introduced it will pick up. I would like to know your thoughts on my characterizations so far.
> 
> Until I say otherwise expect an update Saturdays for OBSUD. I should stop making acronyms for my own works '-_-


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins begin their magical training in different ways. While Tad gives Mabel a more hands on approach, Dipper is stuck reading. Something he normally would have no problem with, but this time around it just makes him restless. Their resident demon imparts his knowledge of magic on the twins, and the potential dangers. Dipper finds himself with more questions in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is chapter 4! Please enjoy.

  
It was clear from the start that the process of learning magic would be different for the twins. Mabel had Tad to teach her. Tad Strange was one of the demons to teach humans how to truly harness magic countless centuries ago. Strange had been fascinated by humanity and their resilience to the point of siding with them over his own kind. There was still much Dipper and Mabel did not know about Tad, but he seemed to be reliable enough, for a demon.

Dipper, on the other hand, would learn from Stanford Pines. His great uncle did this by way of books. A lot of books, even by the brunet’s standards. Ford wanted his great nephew to know the basics of the magical theory before even attempting a spell. The twenty year old could not help but think that Mabel was already getting a feel for her powers while he was forced to read. Dipper liked reading, he always had, but right now all he wanted was to at least learn what color his magic chose to take.

The young man tried to push away the forming jealousy as best he could. It was doing quite the opposite of helping him focus. At least the notes Great Uncle Ford provided gave more insight than any school textbook ever had. The man had firsthand experience after all. Ford’s lack of a guardian throughout that time didn’t seem to take away from it either. It was almost like the man had inside knowledge despite that. Perhaps he just gathered information from a number of charges. Tad could probably have imparted some details as well now that Dipper thought about it.

The words on the pages blurred together for the adolescent the more he tried to focus on them. It was frustrating. Dipper kept drifting to thoughts of what was being hidden from him and his sister. Mabel did not seem to care since she was focused on learning from Tad. It didn’t help that the brunet felt an urge to explore the forest surrounding the Mystery Shack. He was stuck inside while Mabel and Tad trained just before the tree line. Dipper groaned before letting his face fall onto the open book.

“How goes the book worming, kiddo?” Stanley asked as he walked into the kitchen. He found the boy with his face planted in one of the tens of books Ford had piled onto him. The man frowned at the thought that these weren’t even all his brother had. “That bad, huh?”

“Ugh, isn’t there an easier way to get this in my head?” Dipper grumbled. He had never thought the day would come that he would reject reading. Could Great Uncle Ford be torturing him for some reason? The brunet leaned back in his seat before looking at his grunkle. “Why can’t we go into the forest anyway?”

“Too dangerous,” Stan said gruffly. The look Dipper gave him said the twenty year old wanted more information than that. Stanley sighed before taking a seat near the adolescent. “You know that this magic stuff left freakish creatures throughout the world, right?” A nod from Dipper was enough for the man to continue. “Well, some of those creatures are quite dangerous. Without a grasp on this stuff they would eat you alive. Frankly having Mabel out there so close to the tree line is bad enough, but Tad will keep her safe.”

“What creatures reside in Gravity Falls’ forest?” Dipper asked. The thought of undiscovered fauna intrigued him. Surely Ford would have notes on them somewhere, but he wanted to know what to look for while reading. “Have you fought them?”

“Stick to your book worming, Dipper,” Stan said. This was clearly not the answer his grand nephew wanted. “So long as they stick to the forest we won’t have to worry. Let me and Ford worry about any that come wandering out of the woodwork.”

“Ford and me,” Stanford said as he walked into the kitchen for a snack. “Grammar, Stanley.”

“I’ll ‘grammar, Stanley’ your face,” the man threatened. It was hard for Dipper to tell if his grunkle was serious. The man shook his false arm at his twin.

“Is that how you lost it?” Dipper questioned without really thinking.

It was enough to get both old men to look at him with matching expressions. Stanley suddenly shoved his hands under the table. He dropped eye contact with the youngest Pines just as his brother did. There was something in Ford’s expression that gave Dipper pause. He had forgotten what a sore subject this was for the two. Oddly enough Stanford seemed to be the one that reacted worse to it. Dipper could recall Mabel commenting about Grunkle Stan more avoiding it for his twin’s sake.

“Something like that,” Stanley said after some time had passed. He rubbed the back of his neck with his left arm. He cleared his throat at the sounds of Stanford opening the refrigerator. “Let’s just say we bit off more than we could chew a while back. We took care of the wise guy, though.”

“Not without a heavy cost, however,” Ford confessed. His gaze was still trained on the floor even as he held the fridge door open.

Dipper kept his mouth shut after that. There were still so many questions running through his mind, but clearly he should wait until his great uncles were in a better mood. Pushing for answers wouldn’t lead anywhere good. He could piece a bit together from their words and demeanor, however. It did not quell his curiosity about the forest, quite the opposite really. If such dangerous creatures existed why did they not venture into town more often? Why even build a town around an access point?

That was something else Tad had revealed to the twins. The demon remained in Gravity Falls to guard a portal to the Nightmare Realm. It was unlikely it would widen, but just to be safe Tad did not want to stray too far from it. The tear resided far enough away from the actual town that it should not be a problem. Tad claimed to check up on it frequently. The twins assumed that was where he had been when they arrived. Dipper was a bit curious what such a portal looked like up close. Not enough to investigate it alone, though, especially when he did not know its exact location. Apparently there were wards deeper in to confuse those searching out the tear as well.

Supposedly there were those wanting to reopen such portals for one reason or another. Most of them were demons wanting to reignite the war with humanity. There were a few mortals, however, that believed they could gain power by unleashing the demonic threat once more. It sounded rather stupid to Dipper, honestly. If a demon did not have a charge there was no way to contain them. Sure Tad had been an exception of sorts for some time, but now he was Mabel’s Guardian.

The brunet tried to return to his reading. The sudden slamming of the door made him flinch. Mabel was back inside, looking for food. Magic training was supposedly hungry work. Dipper had yet to find this out, unfortunately. The young woman was still her energetic self even after such hard concentration work. She was never one for meditation, since it required a lot of sitting still and just being. That did not mean she did not enjoy the time getting to know her guardian.

Tad walked in not far behind his charge. The demon tended to have a stoic expression on his face. He didn’t give much away with his demeanor. Perhaps it was a demon thing. He did have a smile slightly curving his lips at the moment, however. Tad watched as Mabel rummaged through the fridge for food. Demons apparently did not need to eat. Tad claimed that there were those that did it anyway, for recreation or something along the lines. Some demons just ate human food. Others, well… it was best not to cross their paths.

“How goes the reading, bro-bro?” Mabel asked as she took a seat with a variety of sandwich fixings. She beamed at him while putting the meat, cheese, condiments, and even glitter between bread slices. The existence of edible sparkles had intrigued Tad when Mabel introduced him to it. He had gotten a little funny afterwards, though, like the Stans had a few moments ago.

“Honestly?” Dipper sighed. He slumped with his hand supporting his head. “I’m bored with it. Nothing is really sticking.”

“What are you having trouble with?” Ford asked. He moved closer to the brunet to look over his shoulder. The man adjusted his glasses before reading over the page Dipper had opened.

“I just can’t focus right now,” Dipper said with a huff. He could not recall experiencing this before unless the book honestly did not interest him. This stuff should hold his interest though. He had wanted to learn magic for so long, so what if Ford was making him study before actually getting into it.

“Hm, well, perhaps a break is in order,” Ford said. He was trying to be as encouraging as possible. The man had never taught anyone else this subject before. It was new territory for both of them honestly. “Maybe you can watch Mabel and Tad after eating. Provided neither mind an audience.”

“Of course, dipping sauce,” Mabel exclaimed before biting into her abomination of a sandwich.

“I would be more than happy to show you what I can,” Tad said with a curt nod. The twins couldn’t help but wonder if all demons acted so gentlemanly, or if it was just Strange. Maybe it was a guardian thing. They would have to meet more demons to confirm or refute this.

“Why can’t Dipper just learn with me again?” Mabel questioned after swallowing her first bite. Dipper was glad the girl had gotten over her phase of talking with her mouth full rather quickly.

“Dipper’s magic has to be unlocked first,” Tad informed. He seemed to think for a moment to get his wording right. “I cannot help him with that as I did you, Mabel. We were hoping reading up on it would help your brother out in that regard.”

“What if it doesn’t?” Dipper asked hesitantly. It was no secret that the entire Pines family was magically inclined, but there had been those unable to tap into it before. He was starting to fear he would be another now. How would he help Mabel if he couldn’t even produce a spark?

“It will in time,” Tad said with a confident nod. His certainty only helped the brunet a little. “For a charge it is locked away until they connect with their guardian. That is why physical contact with the corresponding symbols is crucial to our bonding. Those without guardians are a bit different.” The demon frowned at this thought. He looked away from the group for a moment. Tad seemed to contemplate his next words. “You will perform magic, Dipper. I can sense it, but it is dormant for the time being.”

“How do we awaken it then?” Mabel asked before her brother had a chance to. They both had wanted to learn alongside one another. If Dipper’s magic took a long time to awaken then Mabel would be far ahead of her twin. It didn’t feel right to her.

“There are a variety of ways, though we’ll stick to the safer options,” Ford said. He could understand the twins’ concerns. Thinking about his own awakening still put a bad taste in his mouth. He was confident it would never come to that for Dipper. “Watching you and Tad perform spells could be just what Dipper needs.”

This was enough to satisfy the brunette. Dipper on the other hand found himself wondering about the less safe options. He knew there were those that never discovered their magic until a life threatening event. There were also reports of first time magic occurring when one’s loved one was in danger. He would have to agree with Great Uncle Ford if those were the extreme methods.

Dipper was eager to see what his sister had managed to learn from Tad. The demon had claimed he would start with the basics. By the twins’ recollection that meant getting a feel for the surrounding energies, up to the production of a small spark or flame. If Mabel had learned the color of her magic yet she probably would have shared it with everyone. Perhaps Dipper would get to witness her first flame then. He imagined it would be pink, or some vibrant color. Maybe it would match Tad’s magic, not that he knew what color that was.

“Just sit here, Dipper,” Tad said as he gestured to a stump.

The brunet shrugged but did as he was instructed. He watched the pair carefully in hopes of catching even the smallest inspiration for his own magic. Tad nodded to Dipper before focusing back on Mabel. He reached his hand out before snapping his fingers. Orange fire ignited in his palm. Both twins were fascinated by the simplicity of it. Tad was a demon after all. Magic was in his blood, was his blood really.

“It looks so simple when you do it,” Mabel said. The fire danced in her deep brown eyes. She had the urge to reach out and touch it, as stupid as that would be.

“I’ve had eons of practice, my shooting star,” Tad said with a laughing smile. He bent to better present the flame to her. “With time you will produce yours just as easily. For now I want you to take it.”

“What?” Mabel asked. She looked to her guardian with disbelief. Did he honestly expect her to just touch fire like that?

“It will not hurt you, Mabel,” Tad said calmly. He kept his violet eyes trained on her brown ones. “It is my magic that is all. An extension of my being.”

With some hesitance Mabel lifted her hands to the orange flame. She took a deep breath before attempting to encompass the fire. Dipper watched with a mixture of dread and awe. He was worried that his sister would get hurt, but he also wanted to see what would happen. If Tad was confident that Mabel would be fine then there should be nothing to worry about. Mabel’s hands carefully cupped the fire as though it would drip down like water through her fingers. She smiled when it stayed in place.

Tad took his hand away to focus on his charge’s reaction. He smiled to match hers. There was warmth spreading throughout him he could not recall experiencing for some time. No, he had never felt such a thing to this extent he decided. The demon watched on even as the orange fire died down. Mabel frowned at this and then flinched when it seemed to seep into her skin. The orange glow traveled up her arm to the violet square before disappearing. The violet color lit up for a brief second. Dipper’s eyes widened as he approached without thinking.

“What the heck was that?” Dipper demanded. He looked at Mabel’s arm. She showed no signs of injury. Dipper was clearly more upset than his twin. Mabel seemed too busy trying to figure out what exactly did happen.

“My magic is drawn to Mabel,” Tad said. Dipper’s expression showed he needed more information than that. The demon had no problem sharing what he knew. “Hers would do the same thing with me. Her magic is still weak. Mine was trying to build up her reserves.”

“Doesn’t that mean you have less now?” Mabel asked. She was more worried about Tad than herself in that moment. She did not want him to be weakened because of her.

“It will be fine, Mabel,” Tad reassured her with a friendly smile. “A simple rest will restore that small amount easily. When we train and eventually work as a pair it will be as if there is no difference between my magic and yours. That’s one of the benefits to being a Charge and Guardian.”

“It builds up her reserves,” Dipper said in contemplation. That made it sound like a jumpstart of sorts for magic. Perhaps this is what he needed. “Could I store up such energies?”

“No,” Tad said, suddenly stern. This gained both humans’ attention instantly. The demon closed his eyes as if in pain briefly. “I am Mabel’s Guardian. We have corresponding marks. That is how she can handle my magic flowing into her. Demon magic is extremely dangerous to humans otherwise. Corrosively so.”

“What does that mean?” Mabel questioned. She wanted to learn all she could about this power Tad and her shared. If it was dangerous she would have to take extra care, not that Mabel wouldn’t anyway.

“For a human to have a demon’s magic running through them could mean anything from loss of limbs,” Tad paused to take a breath. He did not like this subject. It was clear the twins needed to know this, to be prepared and wary. The demon would not allow harm to come to either of them. “To death. I’ve seen what it does, it’s not pretty.”

The twins shared a silent look. Tad’s mention of lost limbs struck a cord in both of them. They remained quiet on the subject despite both wanting to know more. Mabel was more focused on learning to control her new magical abilities. Dipper had his suspicions, but Wendy’s advice to give Tad Strange a chance had him holding his tongue. The brunet doubted that were the demon to be the cause of some horrible incident that his great uncles would let him hang around, bonded to Mabel or not.

Dipper became lost in thought while his sister tried to get even a spark of her magic to manifest. He didn’t pay attention to the encouraging words from Tad. The young man turned his attention back to the Mystery Shack. He wanted to study more on the relationship between bonded humans and demons. There were a number of questions running through his head at that point.

At the same time he wanted to learn more about Tad Strange specifically. Dipper still felt unease around the demon. Just because Tad was Mabel’s Guardian did not mean he was trustworthy. It was all too clear (to Dipper at least) that the bowler hat sporting creature could simply be using the brunette to gain power. If the suspicion Dipper shared with Mabel was correct, then he knew who to turn to for information on charges and guardians. There was still so much the twins did not know. Dipper hated that they (he specifically) had been left in the dark regarding all of this. How much more were their grunkles and Tad keeping from them?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is still a paranoid butt. He'll get over it eventually.
> 
> The next chapter should get us rolling. It will at least bring in other characters. I will probably post it a bit earlier than this since I will be out of town next weekend. We shall see.


	5. Nightmares and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It can be hard getting used to new surroundings, especially when everything seems so new and mysterious. Mabel takes it in stride, while Dipper becomes plagued with bizarre nightmares. Perhaps exploring the odd little town will help ease him into it. It could be a chance for the twins to make new friends...
> 
> Or enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is chapter 5! Hope you like, and please let me know your thoughts.

 

The first couple nights in Gravity Falls were plagued with the struggle of getting used to a new place. Dipper had never been one for healthy sleeping habits anyway. Mabel seemed to get over it quickly enough given her usual upbeat attitude. Dipper had yet to talk to Grunkle Stan about the possibility of the old man being a Charge. There was no reason to hurry it, aside from the brunet’s desire for answers.

Figuring out how to gain the information respectfully was an issue. It was no secret that Stanley Pines was sensitive about his false limb. Both Stans were, actually. Tad seemed to know something about it, too. The trio’s tight lipped response just made Dipper want to push harder for answers. He had never been that great at respecting boundaries when it came to new information. The twins had learned a little bit at least.

It was not made explicitly clear that a demon had caused Grunkle Stan’s injury, but by that point Dipper could say it was heavily implied. The thing bothering Dipper (one of the many really) was the question of Stan’s guardian. The brunet could make assumptions all he wanted, but that wouldn’t get him anywhere without real facts to back them up. It was one of the thoughts keeping Dipper up at night.

At least he had been reading the material provided by Great Uncle Ford. The information there did help shed some light on a few details. Apparently the marks of Charges help accelerate healing magic. It makes them much harder to subdue. There were details Dipper could have gone without imagining. He had the question of where Stan’s guardian was answered rather quickly, in a way. The book Dipper was currently reading over gave a clear indication of why said demon was not around at least.

The bond between human and demon could be a fragile one regardless of how well the pair seemed to mesh. Given all the new details Dipper could guess quite accurately what had transpired. Stanley Pines had possessed a symbol somewhere on his right arm or hand, and had lost it in battle. During that same battle his guardian must have been severely injured. Demons resort to a basic form when receiving too much damage. Theoretically the link between human and demon helps them regain power, but if the link itself is damaged…

Dipper’s thoughts drifted to the cane Grunkle Stan carried around just about everywhere he went. He knew it was a simple, but sturdy wood. The handle was an eight ball. There was no detail giving what exactly demons became when “dormant,” but if Dipper had to guess in terms of “basic forms” he could see a demon becoming an eight ball. Perhaps the mark on the charge corresponds with this basic form. If that was the case then Strange would become a square, or something with that shape. This was only a theory on Dipper’s part, however.

Every time he thought to actually ask his grunkle, Dipper lost his nerve. For one reason or another something was holding him back from gaining the definitive answers. He could not confirm or deny his assumptions any other way, and yet he silenced himself each time. There was also the added distraction of going into the woods. The forest just appealed to Dipper, though why he could not say. Something was calling him to it. The warnings from those around him only made it more tempting.

A few times the brunet had thought to sneak out while lying in his bed. If sleep was not coming to him, then he might as well be productive. It was usually for this reason that he took up one of the many books and began reading. This only held his interest for so long. Unfortunately the call of the forest only seemed to grow louder the more Dipper ignored it. He certainly did not want to venture into it alone, least of all at night. Still, he wanted to see the creatures these books alluded to up close. Not all of them sounded that dangerous. Many were more like pranksters than outright malicious. Dipper chose instead to heed the warnings of his great uncles and even Mabel’s demon.

When sleep did find Dipper eventually it was never for long. It was not very pleasant either. The brunet had trouble remembering when he woke up in a cold sweat at times. It was akin to a sensory overload most nights. When it was not too much, when Dipper did remember, he wished he did not. Those nights were the worst, in his honest opinion. Those were the nights he found his eyes drifting to the haunting image of a triangle on his window. Somehow he found a sense of peace from the shape, but also this creepy feeling of being watched far too closely.

The first nightmare Dipper could recall in that attic was one of darkness. That was all it was. A void of black and lack of sound. The only thing Dipper could register was an emotion, anger. This feeling festered, but also gave way to despair after a bit. It felt like he was trapped in that place for years. He could not move. Dipper doubted the void would even allow him to blink. He wanted out of it. He wanted to roam freely once more. The thought of freedom made him even more sorrowful.

Thinking back on the dream Dipper could not help but feel these thoughts were not his own. They could belong to no one else, though. Then came the rage. It rolled like a tidal wave throughout the inky nothing. Dipper could swear the world tinted red around him. It was with the appearance of this emotion that he no longer felt alone in the void, but he wished he did. Then light invaded his vision, and Dipper found himself sat up in bed as he tried to regulate his breathing. He said nothing about that first dream to his family. He did not share any of his nighttime terrors with anyone, not even Mabel.

Dipper found himself crawling out of bed after one such nightmare. He deduced that a glass of water would help, for whatever reason. Scrubbing his face would at least cool him off and get rid of the sweat clinging to his brow. He found upon landing on the second floor that he was not the only one awake that night. Dipper crept closer to hear that Stan and Ford were also up. The two were talking with Strange about something. None appeared alerted to the youngest’s presence as yet.

“You didn’t think to share this sooner?” Stanley asked with his arms crossed. His eyes narrowed at the demon. Tad did appear apologetic or at least upset with himself.

“We all got caught up in Mabel and Dipper’s arrival,” Ford said. A grumble from his twin showed that the man did not approve of this defense.

“I do not believe we need to worry,” Tad said. He straightened his posture from that of a scolded child. The demon looked more like himself, or at least the Tad Strange that Dipper was familiar with. “He is awake, but still bound to that spot. The statue has never broken under any weapon.”

“We should still keep an eye out,” Stanford decided. Dipper had never seen the man so uneasy. Whatever the three were discussing must be serious. “The barriers should be enough to turn others away. Do you think anyone else felt the disturbance?”

“Undoubtedly,” Tad confessed. He appeared to mull this over for a moment. “We are the only ones that know the exact location, however. If anyone does come that would free him we’ll know about it.”

“What about the flame princess?” Stanley questioned. The man seemed to be relaxing as they talked. Dipper had no idea who they were discussing.

“She has a charge now,” Strange said. This seemed to be enough for the Stans.

“Just keep our eyes peeled then,” Grunkle Stan said after a bit. The other two nodded. “Anyone off enters the forest and we put a stop to them as we have in the past.”

“The question still remains,” Stanford began with a look of deep thought. “Why would he awaken now? Why remain dormant for all that time? Does he think the barriers have weakened?”

“Even if they did that would be an issue for keeping others out,” Tad said. The demon glanced to a spot on the wall briefly. “He is still trapped, and should remain so. The statue has never responded before.”

“He wasn’t in it then, though,” Stanley piped in. He watched the demon carefully for any physical reaction. If Strange had doubts he better let them know.

“I will investigate more tomorrow,” Tad said with a simple nod. “If I find anything indicating a weakness in his prison we will make a contingency plan.”

“What about Mabel and Dipper?” Stanford suddenly asked.

“We find out first,” Stanley said with no room for argument. “If they don’t need to know about that monster we won’t tell them.”

“Is that truly wise?” Ford countered.

“The less that know the better,” Tad said in agreement with Stan. They both had good points, but keeping everything quiet was a priority for the time being. “I would rather Mabel not be involved, or Dipper.”

“Do you think he can… you know?” Stanley asked rather cryptically. His companions seemed to understand what he was hinting at, however.

“I’m honestly not sure,” Tad confessed. He clearly did not like this fact. “The same rule applies regardless. It’s one of the reasons Mabel and Dipper should be left out of this for the time being.”

Dipper crept back to his room after that. The glass of water was forgotten while he pondered what had been discussed, or whom. Part of him wanted to confront the trio, or at least one of them. At the same time they seemed to have a reason for keeping the young twins out of the loop this time. Mabel was clearly not ready to fight with her growing magic. There was still much they both needed to learn. Dipper had yet to even produce a spark.

The spot just below his neck tingled while he struggled out of bed. Sitting up in bed and swinging his legs to touch the floor, Dipper glanced to the strange window. The sensation between his shoulder blades ceased then, oddly enough. The brunet stood from his bed and walked toward the window. He felt drawn to it just as he did the forest, in a way. Dipper frowned at the thought. He decided that this was just a weird house near a strange forest inside an equally bizarre town. He turned to get ready for the day ahead, passing the previous night off as one long dream.

 

The twins’ first look at Gravity Falls had been brief before heading for the Mystery Shack. They had been staying with their grunkles for a week by the time they actually got to venture into the town. They had just been caught up in learning magic and exploring the strange little house/tourist trap. Despite his grumbling about it Grunkle Stan was the one to take them into town. Ford was working on something in his lab, and then rushed out of the house for one reason or another. Tad had been gone since that morning without a word.

Mabel was too preoccupied with seeing all Gravity Falls had to offer to think too much on her guardian’s absence. She was the first to rush off into the crowded area. Dipper and Stanley called after her and tried to follow. The brunet had no idea what was going on to have so many people out and about. He really did not care either, so long as he found Mabel again. Grunkle Stan was of a similar mind.

The thought to question the man right then crossed Dipper’s mind. He decided against it. With so many people around it just did not seem appropriate. It wasn’t long before he lost the older Pines as well anyway. Dipper felt himself begin to panic at the thought of not finding them in this crowd. He pushed through it, though. It wasn’t like anything bad would happen to them or him. He tried to glance around him in hopes of spotting some indication of his twin or grunkle. Dipper needed a higher vantage point it seemed.

_ Left _

Dipper blinked before turning the direction. His eyes landed on a familiar head of brown hair. The pink sweater further confirmed that it was his twin. He sighed in relief, not even questioning the suggestion. Now they just needed to find Grunkle Stan again. Dipper guided Mabel through the crowd to a seemingly random destination. He didn’t know how he knew where to go, but still did not question it. They found Stanley eventually, just in time for him to scold them for running off like that.

The group found themselves at the arcade a few minutes later. There were a number of old school cabinets. A few of the more popular games had crowds of teenagers surrounding them. Grunkle Stan ditched them rather quickly to play some game he used to play back in the day. The twins shared a shrug and wandered around to see what there was.

Mabel was drawn to the dancing game. There was already someone playing it with a crowd around them. They were racking up points like a master. Everyone was cheering for the person in a red baseball cap and rather baggy looking clothes. The cap was pulled down to the point that it was amazing they could see the coming moves. Mabel made her way up to the front of the gathered people for a better look. She really wanted in on the action, but would wait her turn.

The male twin found himself wandering aimlessly through the arcade. None of the games really jumped out at him like Mabel and Stan. Instead Dipper found his attention drawn in by red hair. A smile found its way to his face as he approached Wendy sitting at one of the tables with pizza. The Corduroy woman waved at the brunet with a grin.

“Hey, Dipper,” Wendy said in greeting. She offered him a slice of the mostly gone pepperoni pizza. “Finally getting to see the town. What do you think?”

“Uh, yeah,” Dipper said lamely. He cleared his throat before trying again. “It’s not bad. This arcade seems nice. Stan and Mabel already found something to pass the time, and use up tokens.”

“Yeah, they have something for everyone in here,” Wendy agreed. She let out a loud whoop when she saw Mabel get up on the stage to show her moves. “I bet your sister kills at that!”

The pair made their way to the crowd before Dipper could respond. Mabel tended to get a bit crazy with her dancing. She had always been the more outgoing twin. Dipper wouldn’t have cared for the attention. He tended to mess up when put on the spot like that, but he did have games he was good at. Mabel, in contrast, thrived on the attention and put on a show. It was then that Dipper realized his sister was going up against the player from before.

The two scores were practically identical on the screens. Dipper had never seen anyone match Mabel so perfectly, or seem to. While the brunette was just having fun the other person seemed to be getting frustrated with their match up. Dipper knew there were extreme competitors out there. Personally he didn’t understand. If the game wasn’t fun then why play it? He always thought the point was to enjoy the game, not make yourself hate it needlessly. It didn’t take long for the competitors to get to the bonus round.

Mabel had the biggest smile plastered on her face. It was good to see her enjoying herself so much. Wendy got the entire crowd cheering for the brunette. Dipper joined in at a lower volume. This seemed to irk the other player. It became clear to Dipper that the hat and baggy clothes were actually hindering them. That made him wonder how much better they would be without them. It was a strange thought given that this person was already matching Mabel in terms of skill. Both players were out of breath by the end of it. Mabel cheered; she was just there for the fun of it.

“Wow, that was amazing,” Mabel said while fixing her headband. She held her hand out to the other. “Great game! Maybe we can do it again some time?”

The other person seemed to glance at her hand before turning away. Mabel was shocked at the rudeness. Her cheeks puffed out in a pout, but she did not seem entirely deterred. Dipper frowned in worry. Sometimes Mabel could be a little forceful when it came to making friends. She was an upbeat, outspoken person in general. At the very least she would not be ignored until she got that handshake.

“Hi, sorry, my name is Mabel Pines,” the brunette introduced herself. She kept a friendly smile on her face. Perhaps this person was just shy and needed a chance. “You were really great back there, obviously. Maybe we can be friends?”

The baseball cap arcade goer paused for a moment. Mabel’s smile brightened at the thought that they were considering it. This expression quickly went away when the other just shoved by her. The brunette was clearly shocked by this action. She had never met anyone so rude. Shyness was no reason to shove someone. Mabel followed the stranger with new determination. Dipper quickly tried to intervene, but was not quite fast enough. He watched in horror as Mabel stopped the other arcade goer to give them a talking to.

They overreacted a bit when Mabel touched them. The person shoved at Mabel to get her to leave them alone. The brunette managed to keep her balance by grabbing onto the stranger. This caused the other to jolt forward slightly due to the added weight. The baseball cap fell off and platinum blonde hair came tumbling down. Mabel locked eyes with a pair of aquamarine. The other woman seemed just as shocked. It didn’t take long for others to notice. Mabel’s eyes drifted to the large bandage over the blonde’s left cheek. She was shoved again and this time fell on her rear. The mysterious girl bolted with growing whispers all around.

Dipper helped his sister to her feet. Wendy found them again while everyone seemed distracted by what had just taken place. The twins noticed just about everyone taking out their phones to share what had transpired. They were very confused by it all. Mabel was still rather put off by the blonde’s attitude. That did not stop her from wondering who the young woman was. She had looked to be around hers and Dipper’s age. The name Pacifica started to be thrown around as background noise.

“Who was that?” Mabel finally asked. The trio was sitting at the table and chairs section while everything was still a buzz.

“Pacifica Northwest,” Wendy said. She seemed just as shocked as everyone else around. “She’s the daughter of Preston and Priscilla. They live in that big mansion overlooking the town. Bunch of snobs really.” Wendy sneered at the thought of the rich family. The twins guessed the Northwests were not well liked. “I can understand why she would wear a disguise around here. Doesn’t want to be seen around us commoners.”

“She had a bandage on her cheek,” Mabel pointed out. She didn’t know why that mattered. They didn’t know Wendy all that well, but would guess she had good reason when not liking someone.

“That’s to cover up her mark,” Wendy informed the two. This definitely got their attention. “Everyone knows she got a guardian a few years back. Not sure what the mark is, though. No one has ever seen the demon Pacifica is paired with. Feel a bit sorry for them honestly.”

“Why do you say that?” Dipper asked. “Why would she hide her mark?”

“The Northwests supposedly dedicated themselves to getting rid of demons centuries ago,” Wendy said with a shrug. “I guess a family like that would feel rather embarrassed to have a Charge among them.”

“I thought actual demon hunters died off ages ago,” Dipper said. The practice certainly had, as not many rogue demons had popped up for quite some time.

“Doesn’t change the belief that demons are evil through and through,” Wendy stated. Dipper couldn’t disagree there. Still, wouldn’t having a demon make fighting others much easier? “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re still trying to find the portal, honestly.”

“Why would they want to do that?” Mabel questioned.

“To force demons back where they came from,” Wendy answered. “Many demon hunter families still want that. I suppose a lot of people think we’d be better off without them.” The redhead shrugged. “Tad is the only demon I’ve met, so I don’t see the issue. Obviously there are bad ones, but that’s no reason to hate all demons.”

“I’m sure Pacifica will come around,” Mabel said with her usual chipper attitude. Wendy lifted an eyebrow at her declaration. “If she has a demon to bond with there is no way she can keep hating them!”

Dipper tuned out any further discussion at that point. His sister was the one to always look on the bright side. Not that he was needlessly pessimistic or anything. The thought of another demon living in Gravity Falls did intrigue Dipper. Perhaps getting to know them would expand his knowledge of the species. It would certainly shed more light on how charges and guardians meshed in terms of personalities. Tad Strange tended to be a rather composed individual, while Mabel was spontaneous. Maybe the demon paired with Pacifica Northwest was polite and open minded, not that Dipper wanted to judge the girl after only one encounter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter should be longer, and will add another character to the mix. We're starting to roll now! xD
> 
> Thank you so much to those of you who have already left kudos and comments! It's still hard to believe so many have taken a liking to my works.
> 
> Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend!


	6. Gleeful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twin are introduced to a foe and rival of Stanley's. Mabel isn't sure the decked out performer is as bad as her elders say, but Dipper seems sold. It seems she will have to search for answers on her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos, everyone! I've also been trying to keep track of all those bookmarking this story.
> 
> For those stating the identity of Stanley's Guardian, yes. Not that I think I've tried to hide it so much as not confirmed by name. I suppose hinting is not confirming either, so take it as you will. Given the tags and my small hint in the last chapter another pair will come up some time soon. The exact look of Dipper's marking will be revealed around that time, as well as the corresponding symbol.
> 
> Now, get ready for our lovable/hate-able psychic fraud! And better yet, some Tad and Mabel bonding!

 

The young Pines twins made their way out of the arcade with their Grunkle Stan. At first it seemed as though the town’s population had died down, but a glance around showed that they had all just gathered around a specific area. Out of curiosity the three Pines made their way over. Obviously whatever was happening was important, or at least entertaining.

On a stage that they swore was not there previously stood a portly balding man that reminded Dipper and Mabel of a used car dealer. The man had a ten gallon hat in his hand as he greeted the audience. The head covering was placed back on his head while he stepped off the stage. The Pines made it up to the front of the crowd just as he was exiting. Dipper heard their grunkle scoff and mutter something. He guessed the old man knew what was going on.

The crowd erupted into cheers before the twenty year old could even open his mouth. With his attention back on the stage, Dipper saw a new face taking in all the cheers from the townsfolk. He had trouble refraining from laughing at the person's outfit. The young man appeared to be around the twins' age. His white hair threw Dipper off initially. It was done up in a pompadour that made the guy look even more ridiculous in the brunet's opinion. The crowd seemed to like this guy for one reason or another.

“Welcome, citizens of Gravity Falls,” the young man said with a southern drawl.

“We love you, Gideon,” some random onlooker cried out.

“And I love all of my lovely fans,” Gideon replied with a giggle.

Dipper questioned how he was capable of such a sound. He watched as the white haired performer released doves from his sleeves. It quickly clicked for the brunet in that moment that this Gideon was a user of performance magic. It was often referred to as tame magic. There was a time when Dipper was fascinated with the practice, but he had grown out of it quickly enough.

Those incapable of magic feared those who could even to this day. The art was seen as dangerous and unpredictable. Despite this fear, those that performed magic ‘tricks’ were popular throughout the world. They typically used amulets and other magical artifacts in place of having their own. It was upon realizing this that Dipper’s interest in magicians greatly weaned. It did not help that many perpetuated the belief that true magic users were evil in one fashion or another. Mostly it just became one side bad mouthing the other, but it was clear which the majority of humanity preferred.

The brunet crossed his arms and looked at the stage with a critical eye. He did not have the knowhow to pick out this illusion magic like someone of Stanford’s caliber, but Dipper believed he had enough knowledge from reading to know a fake bird from a real one. Dipper scowled when he found Gideon’s doves to be rather life-like. There should at least be some faint energy surrounding them, but clearly the twenty year old had not developed an eye for detecting that. He would, though. Dipper swore he would study up until he was an expert.

Unlike the male Pines, Mabel watched on in amazement at the tricks this Gideon character performed. She knew the white haired young man was not using magic of his own, but that did not matter to her. Even illusions could be useful in combating the dangers of this world. Tad at least believed in the implementation of such spells. They could make for a good distraction in various situations. Of course Mabel’s partner was reluctant to have her learn these spells. He hadn't given her a reason why outside of focusing on their current lessons. Perhaps she would ask him when they returned to the Mystery Shack.

For Stanley and Dipper the chance to leave town didn't come fast enough by that point. Mabel was gushing about the different illusions Gideon had displayed for his audience. Dipper really hoped she wasn't developing a crush on the fraud. Grunkle Stan appeared on edge as they made their way to The Shack. His cane was held in his left hand for once. Dipper noted how the man’s grip seemed overly tight over the sphere on top.

Mabel went looking for Tad the second they entered the Mystery Shack. The demon was in the kitchen with Stanford discussing something. The pair ceased talking as soon as they noticed the twins, however. This did not go unnoticed by Dipper, but Mabel appeared oblivious to the continued secrecy.

“The brat is back,” Stanley said to break the silence. The elder pair blinked at him in momentary confusion. “Gideon has the town eating out of his hands again.”

The younger twins watched as their Great Uncle Ford removed his glasses to massage between his eyes. Strange remained silent and impassive on the outside. Mabel lost her excited smile and approached him. The offer of a smile was not enough to convince the brunette that her guardian was unperturbed by this news. Mabel and Dipper were left to wonder what was up with Gideon to have the others acting this way.

“The Gleefuls do have a habit of making our lives harder,” Ford said as he adjusted his glasses. “Has he made any declarations about the st... uh, portal yet?”

“No,” Grunkle Stan responded with a look of warning directed at his brother. “Just his parlor tricks so far, but you know it's coming soon.”

“What does this Gideon want to draw attention to the portal Tad guards for?” Dipper asked. He gave the older humans a calculated once over. His thoughts of them hiding information resurfaced.

“He's been running a smear campaign against the family for years,” Stan grumbled with a sneer.

That would explain the man’s animosity towards the young performer. Dipper was already with his grunkle in despising Gideon. Mabel appeared shocked to learn that anyone would hate her beloved grunkles. Surely there had to be some misunderstanding between them for such a thing to happen. Ambassador Mabel could no doubt solve this issue.

“He wants what anyone seeking its location wants,” Tad said. His gaze was focused on the door as though he could see all the way to the area he had looked after all these centuries. For all the humans knew he could, though they doubted it.

“Many believe the center of our forest holds the key to untold power,” Great Uncle Ford clarified.

Something was making the man uneasy. All of them were, really. It was understandable with the dangers of portals. Few rips in reality remained these days. Mabel and Dipper could recall the class information pertaining to the portals’ mysterious disappearances around thirty years ago. No one knew what had caused it so suddenly, but there were eyewitness accounts of many just vanishing with a blink. The fact that one was known to remain in Gravity Falls was remarkable. If it had not then Mabel and Tad’s meeting probably wouldn't have been postponed for two years.

“More like untold horrors,” Grunkle Stan said under his breath.

Dipper couldn't help but be reminded of his odd dream the night before. Could he have actually been awake then? That would mean the three were truly keeping something(s) from Mabel and him. That didn't make much sense to Dipper, though. He mentally groaned at the thought of being left out of the loop. The brunet rolled his shoulders when registering the familiar tingle between them. It almost felt like a hand grasping him now.

“So he's part of the reason we didn't meet until recently,” Mabel stated rather than questioned. She appeared to ponder it for a while longer. Dipper could tell it would keep her up that night.

“Gideon Gleeful is not the only one with such an interest in what I guard,” Tad said.

“Why this one, though?” Dipper asked. “Gravity Falls can't be the only place to retain its portal.”

“Convenience for one, I'd assume,” Ford said. “He did leave on a magic tour last year. Chances are he used that as his cover to search out others.”

“Meaning he didn't find any during that time,” Dipper concluded.

It did make sense. Portals had never been out in the open, and thirty some years ago they mostly seemed to up and vanish for no known reason. One could not expect a cross country trip to yield that many. Chances are Gideon would have had to leave the country to find one. Truthfully it wouldn't surprise Dipper if he would have to travel halfway across the world to stumble upon another portal.

“What do we do then?” Mabel asked. At least one of them seemed to be keeping to the most important details. Granted Dipper was sure his sister was asking for different reasons than he would.

“We have it covered, pumpkin,” Grunkle Stan assured. He gave the twins a confident smile. “No one is getting into that forest without us knowing about it.”

“Mabel and I could help,” Dipper suggested.

This could be his chance to see the forest. The thought of seeing an actual portal excited him as well, despite the dangers it could pose. The exchanging looks of the three was enough to tell Dipper that he wasn’t getting his way anytime soon. Did they think he wasn’t ready? Would he have to awaken his dormant magic before they trusted him with such knowledge? He would just have to prove himself some other way then. Dipper just didn’t know how to do that.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was certainly unexpected to have someone visit their little shack. Grunkle Stan grumbled about people not reading his closed sign. He wasn’t about to let his brother deal with customers, even if Stanford had done it before with decent results. Stanley had always been the more charismatic one of the pair. It came with his natural con-artist tendencies. He forced on such charm before dealing with the stupid person on the other side of the door.

“Welcome to the Mystery…,” the man suddenly paused when he noticed the figure on his porch. Mabel and Dipper cautiously crept closer to see who startled their grunkle. Stanley’s charm evaporated rather quickly. “What do you want, Gleeful?”

“Stan Pines, always a pleasure,” Gideon said with enough false charm to make his rival’s eye twitch. The white haired performer stood there with his usual friendly smile, though it was clearly forced in Stanley’s presence. Gideon cleared his throat before getting to the point. “I noticed you were in town during my grand return show. You had a couple new faces with you. Your great-niece and -nephew if I’m not mistaken, and I never am.”

“Your psychic shit doesn’t work here, Gideon, and you know it,” Stanley scowled. He crossed his arms impatiently. “You have one last chance to tell me what you’re doing here before I kick your ass off my property.”

“At least try to be civil, old man,” Gideon said with more irritation than persuasion. After a calming breath his innocent act was back in full swing. He offered a placating smile to the older conman. “I was simply trying to do the neighborly thing and officially welcome our newcomers.”

“Nice try, short stack,” Stan said before slamming the door in Gideon’s face.

“Grunkle Stan,” Mabel scolded. She looked exasperated with her relative as she walked up to the door in hopes of salvaging the situation.

Stanley clearly did not care if he was being rude to the teenager. He shrugged and left his niece to it, but did not go far. There was no way the Gleeful brat was pulling anything on his watch. Dipper seemed to be of the same mind since he stepped up to stand behind his sister. Strange remained out of sight, but was listening in just in case he should intervene. None of them really cared for the false psychic, for obvious reasons on their part. The twins would have to get the full story another time. Unless it was simply Gideon’s persistence in locating the portal to the currently inaccessible Nightmare Realm. That would be enough for Dipper, but Mabel wanted the other side of the story.

“I am sorry about that,” she apologized after opening the door back up. Gideon was still there, rubbing at his nose that had apparently been too close. He remained silent with his eyes transfixed on Mabel’s face. She extended her hand in greeting. “I’m Mabel, and the stick in the mud behind me is Dipper.”

The brunet refused to respond to his sister’s teasing. He crossed his arms and watched for what Gideon would do instead. The false magic user seemed to be having trouble remembering what words were. He dumbly took Mabel’s hand to shake, but she had to complete the action. Mabel gave him a patient smile in hopes of an actual verbal introduction. It was hard to determine what had forced this silence from Gideon. Well, perhaps not.

“Mabel,” Gideon whispered to test the name. His usual pale complexion had gained a pink tint. He had yet to release the young woman’s hand. “You’re beautiful. I mean, welcome to Gravity Falls!”

The young Pines giggled in response. She offered a friendly smile and finally got her hand back. Gideon appeared entranced by the amused sound. Dipper scowled behind his sister. It didn't take a genius to see where this could go. There was no way he was letting Gideon get close to Mabel.

Dipper walked forward until he could place a hand on his sister’s shoulder. He glared at Gideon. Said teen looked rather confused by the sudden animosity. He offered a weak smile to the other, but Dipper continued to scowl.

“Thank you for the warm welcome,” Dipper said coldly. He managed to pull Mabel back from the door. At the moment she wasn't putting up any resistance. “I don't believe we'll need to cross paths again.”

“But…”

The door was slammed in Gideon’s face once again. Dipper ignored the scolding use of his name from Mabel. Hopefully the fraud got the hint and left their family alone. Judging by what their grunkles had said about Gideon, however, that did not seem likely. Dipper just hoped the creep left Mabel alone. For the time being it seemed he would have to deal with Mabel being upset with him. It would be worth it in the end. It wasn’t like she could stay mad at him.

Mabel tossed her arms in the air and walked out of the room. Sometimes her family could be utterly unreasonable. She felt she should at least give Gideon a chance. He didn’t seem like that much of a jerk from Mabel’s encounter. Surely her grunkles were just jumping to conclusions with the teenager. After all, no one was crazy enough to actually open a portal to the Nightmare Realm. Gideon was probably just curious about it like her and Dipper. The young Gleeful must have just been too upfront about it for the Stans’ and Tad’s liking.

With that thought in mind the brunette returned to her room. She had been working on a new sweater, and had another planned soon after. They were for her grunkles, so she had to work on them without interruption. Mabel did not want the surprise to be ruined. It just wasn’t as enjoyable when the recipient knew what they were receiving. At least that was her stance on it. She would use the time to think about how to approach Gideon without her family being unreasonable.

The second she closed her door there was a knock. Mabel could not decipher who it was just by listening to the rhythm, which meant it was probably Tad. She had yet to memorize the sound of his knocking, but she would. They were partners after all. Hopefully they would get to spend more time together soon. Mabel opened the door with her warm smile. Tad responded with a careful one of his own. They were still getting used to each other, and Tad claimed not to be the ‘meet new people’ type of demon.

“May I enter?” Tad asked. He did not fidget while awaiting an answer, but there was an air of awkwardness Mabel picked up on. They really had not interacted much without the Stans or Dipper around.

“Of course,” Mabel said with an even brighter smile. She quickly glanced passed her guardian and then left to right. “But you have to promise that nothing leaves this room. You will tell no one what you see. That includes Dipper and Grunkles Stan and Ford.”

“...I promise?” Tad responded with a look of uncertainty.

The dark haired demon did not have time to question before Mabel grabbed his hand to pull him in. With the door shut behind them she walked over to her bed to grab what she needed. Strange watched while his charge pulled a tote of yarn and knitting supplies from under her bed. There was a sweater already in progress hidden beneath the seemingly endless pile. Tad blinked at the sight before his mouth settled into a fond smile. He was still wearing the blue one Mabel had gifted him.

“Is this what is to be kept secret?” He asked, already quite sure of the answer.

“Shh, don’t let Grunkle Ford hear,” Mabel warned. Her tone was playful, but it was clear she did want it kept between them. She settled into a whisper to hopefully stave off any eavesdroppers, not that she believed there were any. “I’ll be working on one for Grunkle Stan next.”

Tad walked over to the bed with a confirming hum. He watched Mabel work in silence for a bit. She was talented, there was no doubt of that. He could see her making a career out of it, destiny permitting. Protecting the world from potential threat was a full time job after all. Charges and Guardians were too scarce for much break time, even in a little town like this. Tad could only hope that the current peace remained, but knew beings like Gideon and the Northwests threatened that possibility. Not to mention the other wrench in the system that had resurfaced upon the twins’ arrival.

“What’s wrong?” Mabel questioned, breaking the demon from his thoughts.

“Everything is fine, my shooting star,” Tad claimed with a clearly forced smile. For a demon he seemed to be a terrible liar, or maybe it was just to Mabel.

“You were thinking about something,” Mabel said, refusing to let the subject drop so easily. She looked down at her hands as they worked. “It looked to be upsetting you.”

“It is not important,” Tad decided. How much he believed that only he could say. Mabel could guess that it wasn’t all that much. The demon nodded to the sweater. “So what are you planning for this?”

“Well, as you can see I used a deep red,” Mabel began. “Grunkle Ford likes that color, or seems to judging by his other ones. I’m thinking of putting a six fingered hand in the center of the torso. I just don’t know what color to use for that. I was thinking yellow.”

“Interesting,” Tad said with a faraway look in his eyes. He blinked and focused on Mabel curiously. “Any particular reason why?”

“I was inspired by a picture I found in the one desk drawer,” Mabel admitted. She felt a little bad about snooping, but it did give her a great idea. “He was holding a book with that symbol. You were in it, but kinda off to the side. There were two others I didn’t recognize.”

“Oh,” Tad breathed out. His eyes shifted to side glance the floor for a moment. “So that’s where Stanford hid it.”

“Why was he hiding it?” Mabel asked. She forgot about her knitting momentarily and pricked herself. It showed how distracted she was by this new information.

“The memories, mostly,” Tad said. Given the slump of his shoulders it was not just a bad subject for Great Uncle Ford.

The demon inhaled to compose himself a moment later. Mabel was sucking on her finger from the small knick. She placed her sweater-to-be aside to grasp at Tad’s hand with her free one. Strange glanced to Mabel as she gave a comforting squeeze. He reciprocated and offered a grateful smile for the gesture. An easy silence settled between them. Mabel took her hand back and returned to her sweater when Tad seemed to be okay. He glanced over to the writing desk before standing up.

Mabel watched without saying a word. Tad easily managed to open the correct drawer and bring out the photo she had mentioned. He held it securely while taking in the faces preserved there. The two Stans were recognizable, even if they had aged quite a bit. He certainly didn’t look much different aside from the attire. An umbrella was clutched in his hands, resting on the ground like a cane.

Tad grimaced at the trail that particular thought led down. His eyes quickly moved to the two Mabel had not recognized. One was a monster of a ‘man’ standing behind Stanley. He had a large lower jaw with teeth sticking up at the sides like tusks. His eyes appeared rather bulbous. The distance the photograph was taken at failed to show the oddity of the sclera, iris, and pupils. Tad could still recall them vividly; as well as the way they blinked sideways. He was bald with large pointed ears and a nose that resembled that of a bat. The pictured figure had no shirt (as one probably would not have fit the exaggerated muscle structure) and torn jeans with bare feet. He seemed to be attempting to smile, though his face was not exactly made for the expression.

The second was a scrawnier man with glasses. His brown hair was a bit unruly, but his attire was respectable. He stood beside Stanford in a pose to present the mentioned book. The two looked excited while Stanley was giving two thumbs up. Tad sported a neutral expression. The Mystery Shack could be seen behind the group. The photo had been to celebrate its completion. It had also been taken before everything fell apart because of one friend revealed monster returning.

The photograph was placed face down on the desk while Tad leaned over the furniture. He heard Mabel get off her bed to approach. The demon fisted his free hand as the memories came back. That night was still too vivid for him. It probably would have been for any of them. Tad berated himself for looking at the old picture. He inhaled a shaky breath. It was only afterwards that he realized Mabel had been calling his name with growing worry. He straightened up, leaving the photo sitting there.

“I’m sorry,” Tad apologized. “I did not think it would still affect me so.”

“It’s okay,” Mabel said. She moved closer, but left a comfortable space between them. Twin mocha eyes looked at her guardian with worry, but projected as much encouragement as she could conjure. “I’m sorry I snooped.”

“There is no need to apologize for that, Mabel,” Tad said with a small chuckle. He pulled her into a hug. The contact helped him feel grounded, and Mabel pressed her face into his chest with a smile. “It is natural to be curious. I am sure this brought more questions than answers, however.”

“I think I still have about the same number,” Mabel pondered. Her cheek continued to rest against the warm chest. “I’m guessing the one person is Grunkle Stan’s Guardian, but I don’t know the other one. An old friend of Grunkle Ford, perhaps? Or did he have a guardian, too?”

“No, Stanford never had a guardian,” Tad said with a hint of irritation. It seemed uncharacteristic of the demon, but clearly something had happened during that time to all of them. “The man was his roommate in college, Fiddleford McGucket.”

“Wow, that would have gotten confusing,” Mabel commented. She laughed at the thought it created before composing herself. “Sorry. It’s just that they would both be referred to as Ford.” Mabel pondered this for a moment with an expression of deep thought. “Unless you called him Fid, or something.”

“We tended to use full first names rather than nicknames,” Tad informed. He could see how it would be confusing otherwise, and entertaining for a time.

Mabel pulled back from Tad a minute later. The demon watched his charge put the picture back in the drawer it was found in. It was best that the Stan twins did not come across it for the time being. Given Tad’s reaction to the memories flooding back there were still wounds to rip open. Perhaps at some point Mabel and Dipper would be told the full story, but it would be a long time coming. It was best not to risk drawing his attention toward them. At least not until the twins were better equipped to defend themselves.

Truthfully Tad would rather they not know anything regarding that particular acquaintance. Stanley and Stanford were of similar mind. Unfortunately recent events hinted that Mabel and Dipper would need to know. While learning about certain monsters could open them for attack, not knowing just seemed irresponsible on the elders’ part. For the time being the young twins could go without that added nightmare.

"So what was Grunkle Stan's symbol?" Mabel asked, pulling Tad from his thoughts.  "His guardian wasn't angled in a way to see it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to know what these hints are making all of you think of this Bill so far. I don't know if the final reveal will make it better or worse given what I have planned.
> 
> Anyway, that is it for the chapters I have stocked up so far. It might be a bit longer until the next one. I will try to get another stock going so they will be regularly posted in a similar manner.
> 
> When I do start posting again I will use the notes to answer/respond to any comments. I'm not sure if it will be in the top or bottom that I do this. Let me know what you think.


	7. Friends and Foes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper continues to be plagued by bizarre dreams. A lack of sleep is nothing new, but it may be fueling his anger about being left in the dark. He knows their grunkles are still keeping secrets. Mabel doesn't seem to care, however. She is too busy trying to give a chance to the psychic fraud, Gideon. Will she see reason before it's too late? Will Dipper get his answers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, peeps, I've managed another small stockpile of chapters for you all!
> 
> We still have a few chapters to get through before our triangle overlord officially arrives. Keep watching the chapter titles and you should know when. To clarify the human-demon dynamic: Pine Tree-Triangle, Shooting Star-Square, Crescent-Eight Ball, Llama-Pink Flame. Glasses and Sixer do not have demons. As for our last demon-human pair, they will come onto the scene soon as well. I'm going by how many chapters separate then and now rather than my posting rate. Again, every Saturday until my stockpile runs out.
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy and let me know your thoughts and questions.

 

The same dream once again.  Dipper found himself in nothing but darkness.  Well, not complete darkness this time.  He was floating, with no ground in sight.  Stars distantly flickered overhead.  The longer he stared at them the more he noticed that they were dying quite rapidly.  A twinkle, a flash, and then nothing from each individual until whole sections of the sky were left in complete darkness.  Eventually there were only a handful remaining, separated by seemingly unending black sky.

 

Dipper watched on, waiting for the others to blink out of existence as well.  They did not, however.  Instead their light increased to a blinding intensity.  He shielded his eyes from the onslaught, and then nothing.  His eyes opened slowly to take in the void.  Dipper could feel his body floating in nothingness.  Suddenly he was assaulted with the images of odd symbols.

 

The first he recognized was a simple square, then an eight ball, followed by a pink flame and others that seemed to jumble together.  They circled each other in a dance, but not a circular pattern.  Their path had three turns, forming a triangle.  The square vanished from the group, followed shortly by the eight-ball.  A sense of dread filled Dipper for reasons he could not discern.  The remaining symbols began to glow, and then seem to evaporate.  The inside of the trail they had been on took on a yellow glow with a faint cerulean outline.

 

A curved line formed in the upper center of the triangle.  Dipper registered the sensation at the back of his neck, something that had never occurred inside his dreams.  His eyes widened as the line shifted.  Suddenly the brunet found himself staring into a single golden eye with a slit pupil.  It stared at him, unblinking.  Dipper screamed himself awake.

 

The familiar surroundings of the Mystery Shack’s attic greeted him.  Dipper slowly regulated his breathing.  He reached a hand up to his neck.  The skin was burning.  His eyes squinted shut as he bit his bottom lip to keep from crying out.  It subsided, eventually.  Dipper brought his arms back around to place them over his legs.  He stared at his palms while he tried to decipher the images from his dream, nightmare.  What even was that?

 

Dipper rubbed at his eyes as he debated what to do.  He glanced at the clock to find it was three-thirty in the morning.  He groaned in irritation.  It was not the first time one of these dreams had woken him up at such an hour.  It most likely would not be the last either.  Dipper could either try getting back to sleep, or get up and try reading something until he fell asleep with his face in the pages.  The last time he tried that he had drooled on said pages.  Dipper would rather not make a habit of defacing important documents that way, or at all.

 

With a grumble he turned over on his bed and attempted to curl back up.  Usually he only had one such nightmare a night.  That was the usual at least, as of late his dreams had only gotten worse when trying to get back to sleep.  He could recall Tad Strange in one of them, for one reason or another.  The sensations had not been pleasant, and he had spent the next day avoiding the demon as much as possible.  The worst had to be when an unfamiliar man was pleading for someone to stop, though what and who it was directed at was lost to the brunet.  There was an eye then, too, but it was not inside a triangle or have a slit pupil.

 

Dipper wondered if he was going crazy.  He would have to look at the notes Great Uncle Ford had provided.  There was probably a creature that induced these nightmares.  Why would it target him, though?  These nightly images did not seem to influence his family or the town.  Unless it was a regular occurrence and everyone was used to it by now.  That didn’t answer why Mabel did not appear to be experiencing them.  Could it be that having a Guardian protected her in some way?

 

With a groan he shifted and kicked off his blankets.  There was no way he would get back to sleep at this rate.  Dipper decided to start his planned research regardless of the possibility of crashing in the middle of it.  There had to be something in the notes Great Uncle Ford gave him about what was causing these nightmares.  His attention drifted to the currently open attic window.  It probably was not a good idea to leave it that way through the night, in hindsight.  He had gone over the details of Gravity Falls’ giant vampire bats enough times that he should really know better.  Dipper spent the rest of the night looking through passages in hopes of finding some clue to his nightly visitor.

 

The twenty year old rubbed at his tired eyes for what seemed like the millionth time.  When his hands fell from his face Dipper finally noticed that the sun had risen at some point.  It filtered in through the red tinted glass, leaving the room in an eerie lighting.  His stomach growled to signify its emptiness.  Dipper’s first instinct was to ignore it.  He had not made any headway in finding the identity of his possible tormentor as of yet.  He could imagine Mabel scolding him for skipping out on breakfast; for not sleeping enough.  With a frustrated sound Dipper gave in and closed the book he was currently skimming through.  He could concentrate better with a full stomach anyway.

 

Grunkle Stan was at the kitchen stove grumbling to himself.  The man was fixing up his famous (or infamous) Stan-cakes.  Dipper looked around in confusion when Mabel failed to greet him.  The slightly older twin was nowhere to be found.  Great Uncle Ford was also absent, but that did not seem as strange to him.  The eldest Pines was most likely down in his lab, catching up on the sleep he skipped the night before.  Grunkle Stan had complained a few times about his brother being a bad influence on Dipper for that reason. 

 

“Your sister is nuts,” Stanley said before Dipper could open his mouth.  The brunet gave the old man a puzzled look.  “She’s off trying to make nice with Gleeful.  Couldn’t talk her out of it.  Tad went with her, so at least she won’t be alone with that creep.”

 

“Are you serious?” Dipper blurted with an irritated sigh.

 

It was no surprise that Mabel had refused to see reason, really.  Dipper knew firsthand how hard headed she could be, not that he was any better at times.  At least he could admit that.  The brunet left the kitchen to fetch his hoodie and sneakers.  Even if Tad Strange was there to protect Mabel there was no way Dipper would sit this out.  Not that there was much he could do if things went south.

 

Dipper paused at this thought.  That was right; he still had yet to produce even a spark of magic.  At least Mabel knew her powers had a purple coloring.  She could defend herself better than Dipper.  The brunet shook his head to dispel that train of thought.  No one said he would have to fight anyone.  He just had to go and make sure Gideon wasn’t trying anything sneaky.  There was no way Dipper would let someone take advantage of his sister’s generous nature.  Sure Strange was probably of similar mind on that part, but the demon would probably appreciate the help.

 

“If you’re heading out you should eat something first,” Grunkle Stan said.

 

“I’ll get something while I’m out, Grunkle Stan,” Dipper assured.  He pulled on his shoes and tied them rather sloppily.  That might come back to bite him later, but the brunet didn’t care just then.  “Mabel and I will be back soon.”

 

The door slammed behind the brunet as he darted off.  Dipper was still fixing his hoodie over his head on the way out.  Stanley watched with his pan of Stan-cakes held loosely in his right hand.  The man grumbled to himself as he walked back into the kitchen.  No one seemed to listen to him in this place.  Maybe he should just stop offering his advice.  Why did he offer it for free anyway?

 

Meanwhile a different family was going through their morning routine in a nice little house surrounded by a white picket fence.  Bud Gleeful fixed up a simple breakfast of toast and orange juice for himself and his son.  The portly, balding man silently listened to Gideon talk about a lovely girl he had come across the day before.  It was good to hear the boy talk about something other than the Pines and their hidden portal.  Bud supported his son with all of his used cars salesman heart, but he wanted there to be more in the boy’s life than power hungry plans and revenge schemes.  Bud wanted to do right by his son, as his wife would if she could.

 

“Her eyes were as warm and bright as the sun,” Gideon described.  A look of longing was etched onto his face.  Bud could recall that look on himself many years ago.  He was not prepared to watch it suddenly shift into one of fury that was all too familiar from the teenager.  “But they wouldn’t let me talk to her!  Those blasted Pines and their demon ruin everything!”

 

“I am sure you will see this lovely young lady again,” Bud said to calm his son.  He placed a plate and glass in front of Gideon, and then did the same for himself.  “Eh, what was her name again?”

 

“Mabel,” Gideon shouted as though his father had missed the entire point of his woes.  “She is the most perfect, beautiful woman I have ever been graced to meet.”  His anger returned after slipping into his star-struck state of mind.  “If only her family wasn’t keeping us apart.”

 

Bud choked on his orange juice at that.  He had not realized the girl Gideon was smitten with was a Pines.  Granted it should have been obvious with the way the boy talked of their involvement.  It certainly put a damper on their plans, or perhaps not.  He would have to bring it up with Preston next time to form a decent plan.  Mr. Gleeful ate his toast while he pondered how to go about this new discovery.

 

Gideon continued to switch between ranting about the atrocities of the Pines family and the loveliness of his sugarplum.  If Bud was actually paying attention he might get whiplash on his son’s behalf.  The sound of their doorbell interrupted the teenager, much to his irritation.  Gideon grumbled about someone daring to waste his precious time.  Bud did his best to calm the boy before going to answer the door.  He brushed off some crumbs from his shirt to look more presentable to whoever it was.  One could never be too careful.  It did seem quite early for visitors, though.

 

The used car salesman had to glance down slightly upon opening the door.  He blinked at the sight of a sweater sporting young woman with shoulder length brown hair.  A knee length purple skirt covered her legs.  It and the mostly pink sweater appeared to be handmade.  A purple headband kept her bangs back from her face.  She smiled up at the man with a perfectly straight set of teeth and warm mocha eyes.

 

“Good morning, sir,” she greeted happily.  “Is Gideon home?”

 

“Well, hello there, miss,” Bud said with a warm smile of his own.  “Gideon was just finishing up breakfast.  I am his father, Bud Gleeful.  I do not wish to assume, but might you be Mabel Pines?”

 

“That’s me,” Mabel said.  “It is nice to meet you, Mr. Gleeful.  I was hoping to talk with your son.  I am sorry to say we did not get off to a great start, and I was hoping to fix that.  If he would allow me, of course.”

 

Bud had to admit he could see why his son had become smitten with this girl.  He did his best to put away her fears without making Gideon’s infatuation known.  The boy would not have been pleased with that.  Mr. Gleeful stepped out of the way to let Mabel in.  He directed the brunette to make herself comfortable on the couch while he checked on his son.  He would like Gideon to finish up eating before the boy ran off with the female Pines.  No, no, Bud could not think of the girl that way.  She was Mabel, a lovely young lady who had caught Gideon’s eye.  Throwing her in with that lot of slime was just unfair.

 

“So,” Gideon said as soon as his father returned to the kitchen.  “Who was it and what did they want?”

 

“You will see when you head to the living room,” Bud replied calmly.  He knew this would irritate the boy, but Gideon’s happiness at the surprise would be well worth it.  “Finish up and you can find out.”

 

“What are you playing at?” Gideon asked with narrowed eyes.  His hands fisted at the thought of things being kept from him, and by his own father no less.  He lifted a piece of toast to his mouth, continuing to glare at the man as he sat back down.  Bud got up a second later to fix more toast.  Silence continued until it was ready, Gideon finishing in the same instance.

 

“Perhaps offer this,” Bud suggested with a smile.  He nudged the plate at the teenager in a patient manner.

 

Gideon got the hint that the man wanted him to be neighborly for one reason or another.  With a relenting sigh he took the plate of toast and another glass of orange juice.  He forced on a pleasant smile for his father’s sake.  Hopefully this would not be a waste of his time.  He turned into the living room and directed his gaze at the couch before stopping dead in his tracks.  His eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him.  Mabel Pines sat on the pristine furniture with a warm smile, waving at him in greeting.

 

The brunette stopped waving when she realized Gideon would not be returning the gesture.  His hands were full after all.  Her smile disappeared when the young man accidentally tilted the orange juice to spill onto the carpet.  She did not think her presence would shock him so.  Mabel got up from the couch to try to help clean up.  An apology was on the tip of her tongue until Gideon raised a hand to calm them both.  He placed the toast plate on the glass coffee table with the now mostly empty drink container.

 

Mabel watched the teenager put one hand around the blue jewel in his matching tie.  Gideon’s other hand lifted in the air, the liquid rising out of the carpet with the motion.  The girl’s eyes widened at the spell.  The orange juice was returned to the glass as though it had never left.  Mabel’s mouth moved in silent awe.  That was definitely something she could use when she spilled Mabel Juice, or just the ingredients for it.

 

“There, all better,” Gideon said to break the silence.  He smiled awkwardly at Mabel.  He had never thought they would be in the same room, much less that she would come to his house.  Maybe he was dreaming.

 

“That was amazing,” Mabel said with a beaming smile.  “It’s the amulet, right?  Did it take a long time to master?  I swear it took me forever to even produce a spark of magic!  You make it look so easy.  Well, Tad makes it look easy, too, but he’s a demon and they’re like literally made of the stuff apparently…”

 

The girl rambled on for a bit.  Gideon didn’t really mind.  He could listen to her voice for days.  Mabel stopped when she realized she was just blurting out nonsense at that point.  She wasn’t giving the other a chance to answer any of her questions either.  She flushed at how rude she must seem to him.  Well, she supposed this was better than their first meeting.  Mabel started feeling rather awkward when Gideon had yet to say anything beyond those three words.

 

“Oh, yes, the amulet,” Gideon said once he caught on that she was waiting for a response.  “I just have to think about what I want and it does it.  The hand gestures are more for show, but I think they help.  It, uh, it’s levitation basically.”

 

“Can you levitate anything?” Mabel asked.  Her eyes lit up at the possibilities.  Gideon’s eyes clouded with the thought of how beautiful she was.  “Can you levitate people?”

 

“I can levitate most anything,” Gideon said after a moment.  He smiled at the fact that even Mabel was fascinated by his powers.  She had said she was learning, hadn’t she?  They could get to know each other through that, couldn’t they?  “There is a weight limit, and some sentient creatures have been able to struggle against it.”

 

“It is quite versatile,” Mabel noted.  She let out an embarrassed giggle that had Gideon just as smitten.  She offered an apologetic smile.  “I’m sorry this is a bit off topic from why I came here, but it is cool.  Ah, to the point, though, we didn’t really get a chance to talk much.  I am sorry about that.  My brother is kind of paranoid, and my grunkles can be real sticks-in-the-mud at times.”

 

“Oh no, no, please don’t apologize for that, Mabel,” Gideon blurted out.  He composed himself when she gave him a concerned look.  “It’s really not your fault.  Besides, we can talk now.  Oh, did you have breakfast?  Please eat, eat.”

 

“Thank you, Gideon,” Mabel said with a laugh and smile.  “I actually did leave before having anything.”

 

“Uh, my father fixed up everything actually,” Gideon said.  He figured he might as well put in a good word for the old man.  He would like for Mabel to enjoy spending time with him, his family included where they could be.

 

“Well, you can never go wrong with toast,” Mabel declared before taking a bite.  She seemed to think while she chewed.  “Unless you’re Grunkle Ford.  He practically burns everything.”

 

“Ford?” Gideon questioned.  It took him a moment to catch on.  He didn’t really know much about the other Stan, not that anyone seemed to in this town.  “Oh, your other uncle.  He doesn’t get out much does he?  I mean he visits Old Man McGucket regularly, but Stanford doesn’t interact with the public like his brother does.”

 

“I guess not,” Mabel said with a shrug.  “He’s not really a people person.  I think he’s where Dipper gets his paranoia from sometimes.  Do you mean Fiddleford McGucket?”

 

“He lives in the dump,” Gideon informed.  He didn’t really care much about the other Pines family members.  Some part of him recognized that this was the best way to learn their weaknesses and secrets, but he just wanted to learn about Mabel.  “He’s insane, but was once some kind of genius, apparently.  I guess Stanford knows him from childhood or something.”

 

“It’s strange that Dipper and I never heard of him from our grunkles,” Mabel pondered.  She continued eating her toast, once or twice stopping to take a sip of orange juice.  “Granted we didn’t learn about Tad until a few weeks ago.”

 

“So, Strange is your demon?” Gideon inquired.  He fidgeted a little on the subject.  He didn’t care for the demon.  Tad honestly gave him the creeps.  It was probably just a demon thing.

 

“He’s my Guardian, yes,” Mabel responded.  She frowned at some thought this brought up.  “I kinda wish Dipper had gotten one, too.  He really wants to learn magic, but hasn’t tapped into it yet.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll get it,” Gideon said.  He didn’t want to dampen Mabel’s mood.  “It can be hard.  I mean, without this I couldn’t do it.”  Gideon chuckled half-heartedly at his own statement.  Without his amulet he was nothing.

 

“Dipper’s a determined guy,” Mabel agreed.  She finished off her drink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.  Gideon was taken aback by the motion for a moment.  “So, I haven’t gotten much of a tour of Gravity Falls.  Would you mind showing me around a bit?  I was hoping we could get to know each other a bit better.  To understand one another, and maybe be friends.”

 

“Of course!”

  
  
  


Dipper found himself wandering around Gravity Falls in search of his sister.  Why had Mabel run off like that without telling him?  There was no telling what Gideon was up to.  Sure Tad was with her, supposedly, but that didn’t stop Dipper from worrying.  He could admit that he had come a long way from being suspicious of the demon.  There was just more security in seeing that Mabel was okay than just telling himself everything would be fine.  That being said, Mabel probably knew where she was at that moment; Dipper, on the other hand, did not know where he was.

 

A sudden breeze assaulted his nose with a foul odor.  Dipper looked up to see a sign proclaiming him to be standing outside of The Gravity Falls Dump and Junkyard.  Great, he was lost and his only clue was a rancid smelling garbage heap.  Dipper was prepared to turn around until his eyes caught a familiar shade of tan coat.  He blinked and squinted to be sure he wasn’t seeing things.  What would Great Uncle Ford be doing in the Gravity Falls Dump?

 

There was another man with Stanford Pines.  The second man was shorter, or just had terrible posture.  He had a long white beard that stretched down his torso.  Dipper decided he would see what the two were doing in such a place.  The unfamiliar man was the first to notice the young man’s approach, and promptly freaked out.  Dipper stopped in his tracks as the old hillbilly jumped around in a panic.  He switched between darting behind a garbage pile and Ford.  This caught the eldest Pines’ attention.

 

“Dipper,” Ford greeted with surprise.  He smiled and motioned for the twenty year old to come closer.  Only after Dipper seemed to obey did Stanford’s attention return to his companion.  He placed a calming hand on the other’s shoulder.  “Fiddleford, this is my great nephew, Dipper.”

 

“Oh, ah, hello,” Fiddleford said as he calmed down.  He offered an unsure smile as Dipper waved at him.  “Fi-Fiddleford McGucket.  I think…”

 

“Uh, Dipper Pines,” Dipper said with a glance to his great uncle.  Stanford just gave him a smile before glancing down to his friend.

 

“I’m going to head home now, Fiddleford,” Stanford said.  This seemed to worry the other man a bit.  “You can call me anytime.  Perhaps you should talk with your son at some point.  It’s just a suggestion, old friend.”

 

“Okay, Stanford,” the hillbilly replied.  His smile showed a number of missing teeth.

 

Dipper noted that his feet were bandaged up instead of in shoes, and he had a cast on his left arm.  The most shocking of all was the eye patch over his right eye.  Dipper could see deep scar tissue around the outside.  It must have been a truly gruesome accident that caused him to lose it, or something more sinister.  The brunet suppressed the shiver that thought brought.  He barely registered the good-bye directed his way.  Dipper forced a smile and nodded before following his great uncle out of the dump.  Fiddleford apparently lived in the makeshift house at its center.  Dipper wondered how cheap the rent was.

 

The two Pines walked in silence for a while.  Stanford was busy thinking about the new inventions his old roommate had shown him.  The magic detector would be especially useful in his opinion.  They could tell if someone was using their own power, or that of an artifact.  With enough tweaking it might be able to show where these artifacts were hidden and buried before they fell into dangerous hands.  There were other inventions Fiddleford only had blueprints and planning notes for at the moment.  Stanford was less sure about those, namely the magic sapper.  It could be useful, but also dangerous.  He would just have to discourage his friend’s development of that particular weapon.

 

“You never mentioned Mr. McGucket before,” Dipper commented.  His tone was less than pleased, causing Ford to pause and glance at his young apprentice.  “Just like you never mentioned Tad, or Gideon.  Anyone else you and Grunkle Stan have failed to talk about?”

 

The brunet kept walking despite his question.  He missed the way his great uncle flinched at the accusations.  He missed how Ford’s eyes shifted uneasily at the thought.  When Dipper did eventually stop walking forward Stanford had already composed himself.  Dipper really didn’t expect an answer.  He already had his assumptions.  They wouldn’t be told anything until their elders felt it absolutely necessary.  They certainly wouldn’t be sharing this information with him, the kid that couldn’t even produce a spark of magic by this point.

 

“I get the Tad thing, sort of,” Dipper said in a defeated tone.  “But Gideon?  Shouldn’t Mabel and I know about potentially dangerous people in this town?  Shouldn’t we learn what we may have to go up against?  I mean, even if you think we can’t handle it… shouldn’t we be told to steer clear of such things then?”

 

“Dipper, I’m sorry,” Ford apologized.  His shoulders slumped in defeat and disappointment in himself.  “We’ve been focused on getting you ready for such things.  Tad had his reasons, and Gideon was running all over the country at the time.  As for Fiddleford, well, I just didn’t think.  He doesn’t take meeting new people that well these days.”

 

“Just tell me there is nothing else you’re hiding,” Dipper said.  He gave his great uncle a challenging look.  He doubted the man would lie right to his face.  Well, he hoped he wouldn’t do that.  Did the man not trust him enough?

 

“Everything else of importance is in the notes I gave you,” Stanford said.  The way he said it made Dipper suspicious, but neither gave anything away.  Stanley was the con man, after all.  Stanford could not lie when looking someone in the eye.  Right?

 

“Okay,” Dipper relented.  He ducked his head, missing how Stanford frowned and shifted his gaze away.  “I trust you.  I have to find Mabel now.”

 

“Mabel should have Tad with her,” Ford said, though he didn’t sound all that sure.  “Where did they go?”

 

“Mabel went off to get Gideon’s side of the story, or something,” Dipper said rather snappishly.  Sometimes what went through his sister’s head was beyond him.  “Tad followed her, by what Grunkle Stan said.  I just want to be sure that creep doesn’t try anything.  Since Mabel won’t listen to reason, maybe I can tell Gideon to stay away instead.”

 

“Perhaps I should come along,” Ford suggested.  He would rather his family not get into another fight with the Gleefuls.  The last one that Stanley had instigated had not been pretty.  It didn’t help that the family had the entire town eating out of their sleazy palms.

 

The two ended up circling through the town for most of the morning.  It was after one by the time they got around to Greasy's Diner.  The lunch crowd was making their exit.  Dipper’s eyes zeroed in on a pair sitting near the back of the restaurant.  He would recognize his sister from a distance easily, and it was quite hard to miss the ridiculous white hairdo Gideon sported.  It had to have been caused by some freak accident.  Well, Dipper was pretty sure it must have been.  There was no way Gideon was born with such a hair color.

 

Stanford placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder to stop him from just marching into the restaurant.  It was better if they didn’t make a scene.  Gideon would just get the town on his side, and the animosity towards the Pines would be reignited.  No, it was best they waited for the pair to exit Greasy’s Diner and get as far out of the public eye as possible.  Ford just hoped Gideon had not been making a spectacle of everything around the townsfolk.

 

The pair waited for maybe ten minutes before Mabel and Gideon got up from their booth to exit.  Ford had to keep his great nephew from running right up to them the second the bell chimed on their departure.  He guided his apprentice around the back to follow through the alleyways.  It was sneaky, but it was better than being caught tailing the young Gleeful.  Stanford wondered where Tad was hiding at.  The demon knew what he was doing; there was no doubt about that.  It was just the thought of how much time would be spent waiting on back up that worried the scientist.

 

Mabel and Gideon stopped at a less populated area.  The girl was enjoying the tour of Gravity Falls, but she had caught on (perhaps a bit late) to the fact that Gideon was crushing on her, hard.  Sometimes she was too nice even for her own good.  Mabel didn’t want to break his heart, but she didn’t want to date him either.  Surely he could understand that she was just hoping to be friends and nothing more.  The problem was bringing this up without causing too much of a scene.

 

Before Mabel could broach the subject they were interrupted.  Gideon’s attention had been drawn by Stanford and Dipper Pines coming up to them from a back alley.  Quite suspicious if you asked him, and he would know a thing or two about it.  He gave the two Pines men an amused smile despite knowing they were here to ruin his day with his sugarplum.  Mabel didn’t know what to think at the sudden appearance of her brother and great uncle.  She supposed it was her fault for not saying anything before darting off, or maybe she just should not have told Grunkle Stan where she was going.

 

“Stanford and Dipper Pines, it is nice to see you again,” Gideon greeted as pleasantly as he could muster.

 

“Save it Gideon,” Dipper glowered before turning his attention to Mabel.  He spoke in a whisper in hopes of keeping the few people about from noticing them.  “What are you doing?”

 

“I was trying to be nice,” Mabel said, copying her brother’s hushed tone out of habit.  “Gideon isn’t so bad.  I just wanted to give him a chance.  Not everyone deserves your paranoia.”

 

“Some do,” Dipper countered.

 

Mabel’s response was to suck in air and scowl at her brother while holding her breath.  It was childish, but it was her way of not yelling at him.  Meanwhile Gideon and Stanford just stared at each other.  Ford remained neutral to the young false psychic.  Gideon found the man’s resemblance to Stanley Pines was too much not to scowl at.  Granted he could see enough of the differences not to confuse the two in that moment.  He dropped his gaze.  Gideon’s eyes landed on the old man’s hands.  He barely contained his shock at the sight of six fingers.  How had he not noticed that before?

 

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Mabel said in response to something else Dipper said.  Gideon had not been paying attention to the twins’ conversation.  “It’s not like Gideon and I have been wondering around without company.”

 

This was news to the teenager.  At Mabel’s words there was a brief flash of orange behind Dipper and Stanford.  Gideon flinched at the sudden appearance of Tad Strange.  Everyone looked at the pompadour sporting young man when he let out a squeak of fright.  The demon made no move to get closer; having seen enough to determine that his charge was not in danger.  He had followed her around with a concealment spell up until she approached the Gleeful house.  Mabel had agreed to let him keep an eye on them, but refused to return without at least talking with Gideon.  Tad had seen no reason to reveal himself to the boy.

 

“See, Tad has been here the whole time,” Mabel pointed out.  She crossed her arms in a mirror of Dipper’s pose.  Neither planned to give any ground in this argument.

 

“Young Mr. Gleeful has been gracious in showing Mabel around,” Tad said, though his tone was flatter than any of them had heard.  He was making a point that he was stating fact, not taking sides on the matter.  Apparently the Pines’ bias extended to the demon.

 

“Perhaps it would be best to work this out at home,” Stanford said.  He was trying to remain the voice of reason.  He was the adult here after all.  “It would be good to rest up before your training, Mabel.”

 

“I can take a break,” Mabel said petulantly.  This seemed to surprise Ford quite a bit.  “It’s not like Dipper is catching up anytime soon.”

 

Stanford forced back a surprised cough at the young woman’s words.  He was familiar with words being thrown in anger, but he had not expected Mabel to use such loaded ammunition.  None of the others had been expecting it either.  Dipper’s mouth fell open while Gideon whipped his head to the side to stare at Mabel.  Tad’s eyes noticeably widened at this development.  Mabel’s eyes suddenly darted from one face to the next.  Color drained from her face at the realization that she had hit Dipper with that.

 

The brunet turned his back to his sister and started walking off.  He ignored his great uncle trying to get his attention.  Dipper ignored that even Tad tried to stop him with a concerned expression on his face.  His fists clenched at his sides.  He squinted his eyes shut to push back the frustrated tears.  If Mabel wanted to throw his failures in his face, fine.  She could clearly handle herself.  He didn’t need to bother.  He just had to prove himself.  Dipper would prove himself.  He would tap into his dormant magic.  He would show them all.

 

“Dipper,” Mabel shouted after her brother.  The only response it got was to make him walk away faster.  Her lip wobbled until she tucked it between her teeth.  The brunette dropped her gaze to the ground.  How could she do that to him?  She had let her anger get the best of her, that’s how.

 

“Mabel?” Gideon drew her attention.

 

“I’m sorry, Gideon,” Mabel apologized.  She offered him a watery smile.  “I did have fun seeing the town with you.  I need to make sure my brother is okay now.  Thanks again for the tour.”

 

Mabel sprinted off before he could respond.  The others followed her departure at a slower pace.  Gideon watched in silence as he was left alone.  Once again the Pines family had ruined everything for him.  He silently seethed on the spot.  They would pay, they all would.  No one would stand in the way of his happiness with his sugarplum by his side.  He just had some planning to do.  Mabel would be his, just as soon as her wretched family was out of the way.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm happy to see this getting as much attention as it has. As you probably noticed I have changed the warnings a bit. This is for upcoming chapters. Thanks, Bill. Gideon may contribute a little to this change as well.


	8. Trust No One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper stews in his anger towards his twin. Mabel had taken things too far, and she knew that. She couldn't take it back, but surely their sibling bond could be mended. Fate has other plans in mind, however. Something is drawing Dipper to the forest. What is truly hidden within the woods of Gravity Falls? Will Dipper be able to uncover it, or will he meet his end while trying?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whee! I've decided to update early, so here is chapter 8.
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: angst, violence
> 
> Please leave kudos, and/or comments to let me know your thoughts so far. Enjoy!

 

 

_ Stupid Mabel. _

 

_ Stupid magic. _

 

_ Stupid books. _

 

“Dipper!  I know you’re in there!  I know you can hear me!”

 

_ Stupid Mabel. _

 

_ Stupid magic and books and Mabel. _

 

Dipper fought to concentrate on the text in front of him.  It wasn’t working.  His mind was a jumbled mess.  He was forcing himself to stay mad at Mabel at this point.  If he wasn’t mad he would start crying, again.  How could she?  How dare she throw that in his face!  It wasn’t his fault.  Was it his fault?  Dipper didn’t even know any more.

 

With a frustrated sound he slammed the book closed.  Dipper pulled up another one.  Maybe he could focus on it instead.  That hadn’t worked the last twenty-odd times he tried, but maybe it would now.  He must be insane with that thought process.  Mabel’s shouting on the other side of his door wasn’t helping.  She was sounding increasingly desperate, and it made him want to give in.  He couldn’t, though.  There were just some things one couldn’t take back, and he was going to show Mabel that.  Dipper’s hands clutched the sides of the tomb with a white-knuckle grip.

 

“You know I can just pick the lock,” Mabel said.  Grunkle Stan was a terrible influence on both of them at times.  Granted some of the skills he drilled into them were useful.  “I won’t, because I know you’ll let me in when you’re ready, but you should know that I can.”

 

What Mabel was hoping for was a verbal response.  They both knew how to pick a lock.  It was basically Bonding with Grunkle Stan 101.  Mabel could pick a lock, Dipper could pick a lock, and it was child’s play at this point.  Tad could probably pick a lock magically.  He could probably pick a magic lock.  Dipper wasn’t going to respond to Mabel.  He wasn’t leaving his room in fact.  Not until he could produce some form of magic.  Even if it was just a tiny spark it would be something.  Something he could shove in Mabel’s face, and anyone else who doubted him.

 

Dipper was getting nowhere with these books, though.  He rolled his shoulders at the familiar sensation at the back of his neck.  Maybe he should search the forest.  Yeah, a change of scenery could be just what he needs.  If he left, though, Mabel would be on him in a millisecond.  Well, she had left without telling him.  Let’s see how she liked it.  He just had to figure out how to carry a few books, and which ones seemed the most important at that moment.

 

The brunet carefully slid his chair back.  He couldn’t have Mabel thinking she had won.  He also didn’t want to deal with thinking of her disappointment when she stood there with bated breath thinking he was finally letting her in.  Dipper shook his head.  He was already losing this battle to stay mad at her.  He grabbed his backpack and started looking at the covers of the books.  It might be good to study up on the plants and creatures (and plant creatures) of Gravity Falls.  Dipper definitely needed the book on meditation and hand gestures for controlling and channeling magic.  Where was that book on magical hotspots in the forest?  If he went there Mabel would surely have a hard time following him.  Not that he wanted to make her worry about him.

 

No, let her worry.  Let her stew in her mistakes.  If she didn’t want to listen to him then why should he care?  Mabel had Tad after all.  Dipper would show her.  He would show everyone.  If Great Uncle Ford could harness his magic without a demon then so could Dipper.  Dipper could be better even!  It was with this newfound determination that he slung the backpack over his shoulders and carefully opened the still slightly haunting window.  He could recall how Wendy parkoured her way off the roof.  It didn’t look all that difficult.

 

Dipper carefully pulled himself up onto the roof.  He had to be careful about making too much noise.  If the others spotted him before he made it to the tree line it was all over.  Mabel could stay there yelling at his door on the stairs to the attic.  She would get bored eventually.  She would give in and pick the lock and find him missing.  It would probably be an hour before then.  Dipper would let her sweat it out for a bit after that.  He ran before jumping off and tackling the nearby conifer.

 

Getting onto the tree was the easy part.  Getting down was a whole different story.  Dipper didn’t care much for heights, something he should probably have thought about before jumping.  It was too late now of course.  He breathed in a calming pattern while he descended slowly.  Wendy had made this look so easy!  She was a lumberjack’s daughter after all.  This was probably second nature to her.  Dipper could imagine the redhead had learned to climb trees before taking her first baby steps.  That was a little scary to think about, honestly.

 

The brunet made it to solid ground not soon enough.  He refrained from kissing the ground.  Dipper sprinted off for the trees.  He stopped to catch his breath a short distance within.  A glance back showed that he had run further than he thought.  There was a straight line to the Mystery Shack, though.  He had no plans to turn back now.  He walked around a tree and kept going in as straight of a line as he could.  Dipper would rather not get lost in here by himself.  The truly dangerous creatures were nocturnal at least.  There was no way he was staying out that long.

 

A large stump came into view after a few paces.  Dipper figured it was a good place to stop.  He didn’t want to go too far in.  Only so far that Mabel wouldn’t easily spot him.  He put his backpack down and took a seat.  The trees parted enough to let light filter down.  Dipper took a moment to admire the serene beauty of it all.  Gravity Falls was so different from Piedmont.  He shrugged and leaned over to rummage through his bag.  He pulled out the book on meditation.  He hadn’t looked over it very much.  Great Uncle Ford would probably lightly scold him for that.  It might be what kept him from producing any magic.  Well, he could start studying it now.

 

Dipper flipped open to a page he had bookmarked.  It was only the third or fourth.  His eyes scanned over the words.  He didn’t even register the feeling taking hold between his shoulder blades.  It was almost expected anymore.  He did realize it when his eyes started drooping in drowsiness.  Why was he feeling so tired all of a sudden?  Maybe forcing himself to stay mad at Mabel was taking its toll.  That would make sense, to his sleepy mind.

 

A yawn stretched his mouth open.  Dipper fought the losing battle to stay awake.  There was a pull at his neck.  It almost felt like someone was petting him.  A silent encouragement to just let sleep take him.  Dipper couldn’t sleep out here, though.  It wasn’t safe.  What if he slept too long?  No, he could drift off.  He was safe.  Nothing would dare touch him.  Dipper slumped over as he succumbs to the lull.  He was safe, somehow.  Someone was looking out for him.

 

 

 

 

  
  
  


 

Mabel let out a huff as she sat on the top step in front of the attic door.  She gave it a longing glance.  Dipper usually didn’t stay angry with her this long.  Granted she didn’t normally go off on him like that.  She could handle herself, and he knew that.  Sometimes Dipper just went into protective brother mode.  Mabel knew what that was like, had experienced her own version a few times.  More than a few times really.  It was just the thought that he didn’t trust her judgments that got to her.  She hadn’t meant to say what she did.  Not that it mattered now.

 

“Dipper?” She tried again.  Mabel brought her knees up to her chest.  She was halfway to sweater town.  “I am sorry.  I know you were just looking out for me.  Gideon honestly doesn't seem that bad.  You know I like to give others a chance.  Sometimes it doesn’t work out.  That’s why I have you; to balance me out and make sure I’m not a gullible idiot that will give second chance after second chance.”

 

The brunette sniffled.  She wiped her nose on her sleeve with her hand tucked inside.  Mabel wrapped her arms around her legs while pressing her back against the wall.  She really had gone too far this time.  Dipper would forgive her; it would just take a while.  Sometimes she did take her brother for granted.  Siblings had fights, and they made up.  In the end they had each other’s backs.  If she was in trouble no matter what Dipper would be there, and her for him.  Mabel was waiting for his response once again.  If it came he was preparing to forgive her.  When she was met with more silence Mabel rested her chin on her knees.

 

“If I have to pick the lock I will force you into an awkward sibling hug,” she warned.  There was more silence.  Mabel whined.

 

“Hey, pumpkin,” Grunkle Stan called up from the bottom of the steps.  He waited for Mabel to look at him with her watery chocolate orbs.  His heart squeezed painfully at the sight, making him wince.  “Maybe give it an hour, kay?  Sometimes space is good to sort through one’s thoughts.  Dipper will come around.”

 

Mabel curled up in her position on the steps.  She sighed and sniffled again.  She eventually shifted on the steps to face Grunkle Stan.  Mabel slowly slid herself down without rising to her feet.  Stanley watched her with growing concern.  They would be fine.  He knew that.  It was just the process of making it fine that broke his cold, conman’s heart.  Mabel made it to the last step and then onto the floor.  She curled up there and tucked her head into the turtleneck of her sweater.  Stanley sighed before getting down onto the last step.  There was no way he’d get back up from the floor in his old age.  

 

A comforting hand fell on Mabel’s shoulder.  She leaned into the touch of her grunkle.  This would all just be a bad memory eventually.  It just wasn’t happening soon enough for her.  Sure the twins had disagreed and even fought before, but this was the longest Dipper had stayed angry with her.  An entire day had already gone by without her hearing his voice.  She really should have known better.  Mabel just hadn’t been thinking, and now she was paying the price.

 

The brunette lifted her head from her sweater.  Pestering Dipper the way she had most likely just made him more upset with her.  Still, there was a niggling thought that Mabel shouldn’t just leave him alone.  She bit her lower lip while mulling over the uneasy feeling.  Mabel suddenly stood up and turned back to the attic door.  She ignored Grunkle Stan trying to figure out what was going on.  The young woman took a bobby pin out of her hair to work at the lock.  Her tongue poked out of her mouth as she concentrated.  Mabel barely registered her grunkle get up from the bottom step to join her.

 

The door swung open after a bit of tweaking.  Mabel refrained from letting out an accomplished ‘whoop.’  A breeze caught her hair due to the open window.  Mabel walked further into the attic.  She had admittedly not been up here since they decided on their rooms.  There was just something that unsettled her about it, regardless of how silly that was.  She glanced around for any signs of where Dipper could be.  The absence of his backpack told her he was somewhere outside.

 

Stanley cleared his throat to get her attention without entering the attic room.  They had to inform Ford and Tad of this new development.  Dipper hopefully hadn’t gotten far, but they still had to find him.  They just had to remain calm and they would figure out where Dipper had run off to.  Stan still got a sinking feeling that he already knew, and it was the worst possible option.  He only hoped that the kid was smart enough not to wander into the forest alone, or at least to not stay there too long.  Calm was the key.  They just needed a plan.  Mabel could hold down the fort for when Dipper returned while the other three looked for him.

 

Mabel darted off before Stanley could make this plan of his known.  He called after her, but she was too fast.  She was just as stubborn as that brother of hers, not that Stan had room to complain about stubbornness.  He would have to alert the others himself, and then one of them would have to tail Mabel.  Her sibling intuition was probably better than anything they had at the moment anyway.

 

Before long Mabel found herself in the forest surrounding the Mystery Shack.  Her legs had already been attacked by prickly bushes.  That was not her concern at the moment.  Mabel sucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked around.  There had to be some clue as to where Dipper had gone.  She was afraid to call out in case she gained the attention of something dangerous.  Dipper was the one that studied what actually lived here.  Tad had explained some of the supernatural residence, but it was always sprinkled in with the fact that the forest was to be avoided as much as possible.  Apparently Dipper had not gotten that memo, or was just ignoring it because of his anger.  Mabel couldn’t think about that now.

 

A twig snapped under her foot as she pressed on.  Mabel flinched at the too loud sound.  How had Dipper just run off into this place without even telling anyone?  She may be the more outgoing in social situations, but when Dipper wanted to investigate there was nothing to hold him back.  Well, Mabel supposed he had held off until now.  It was going to be okay.  She would find him and they would make up and return to the Mystery Shack together.  Maybe their grunkles would scold them.  Maybe Tad would force them to let him check them over for injuries.  It would be worth it, and they could put all this behind them.

 

Mabel walked down a small path with these thoughts in mind.  Perhaps Dipper had kept to some kind of trail.  She could only hope that it was the same one she was on now.  Trees popped up in the middle of it, forcing Mabel to alter her course before finding the path once more.  It was hard to tell how far in she had gone.  If it got dark before she found Dipper they would be in trouble.  If she could find him before then it wouldn’t be so bad.  Safety in numbers and all that.  Mabel prayed her brother had not ventured too deep.

 

The brunette stopped suddenly when a tree lifted from the ground with a pale blue light surrounding it.  Mabel ducked behind a bush for cover.  She regretted it soon after as the branches poked her and tore at her clothes.  Her poor sparkle kitty sweater would need some dedicated sewing.  Mabel brought her hands up to her mouth to stop the gasp from traveling.  Her eyes widened at the sight of Gideon holding the uprooted tree with the power of his amulet.  There were bigger trees, but it was his apparent target that truly shocked Mabel.

 

Dipper stared down the teenager.  He did not like his odds against someone with the power to fling whatever was around at him.  There really wasn’t anywhere for him to go, though.  He supposed it was better than his bizarre dreams that only seemed to have gotten worse out in these woods.  That was something to reflect on later.  It was just good he had woken up when he did.  Granted he didn’t seem to have had much of a choice when that creepy eye appeared and turned black with a red slit pupil.  It was disconcerting that he could still feel the anger it had radiated.

 

“Good-bye, Dipper Pines,” Gideon sneered before launching his improvised weapon.  “With you gone Mabel will be mine!”

 

Okay then, so Gideon had lost his mind at some point.  That was something he could have discovered before now.  Dipper really didn’t have anywhere to run.  Dodging a tree wasn’t exactly easy.  Everything seemed to move in slow motion for him, but his feet were rooted to the spot.  Dipper could only curl himself into a ball and hope the impact wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.  He closed his eyes in an effort to avoid watching his end coming.  He squeezed them shut against a bright blue burst of light.  Gideon let out a surprised noise that turned into one of frustration.

 

“No, no,” the psychic fraud cried out.  Dipper looked up to watch the younger’s temper tantrum.  “Of all the times for you to suddenly find your magic!”

 

His magic?  Dipper blinked and glanced around him.  The grass around him was scorched in a triangular pattern.  That was a little disconcerting given his dreams of late.  He looked up to find Gideon fighting to compose himself.  The teenager took hold of the amulet in his tie.  This time he forced a decent sized boulder off the ground.  Dipper tried to remain calm.  If he had conjured something to block the tree he could stop this large rock.  At least he hoped so.

 

Dipper brought his hands up to concentrate on summoning a force field.  Nothing happened.  He tried again; the same result.  He was running out of time.  Dipper’s eyes widened in panic when the shadow of the boulder loomed over him.  A burst of blue fire ignited around him on the ground.  The same energy formed a whip that struck the boulder, splitting it into two perfect halves.  It was a darker blue than Gideon’s borrowed magic.  It wasn’t done.  The magic tendril wrapped around one of the halves and hurled it back at the teenager.  Gideon barely caught it with his amulet’s power in time.

 

“This isn’t possible,” the performer accused.  “You couldn’t produce any magic but a day ago!  No one gets this good that fast!  What are you using, Pines?”

 

The brunet blinked at the other’s words.  Gideon had a point.  Dipper wasn’t even sure he had control over this new power.  What if it was responding on the subconscious level?  That would imply that he had wanted to squash Gideon just a moment ago.  Well, if it was the pompadour sporting teen or Dipper then yeah, he would hurl half a boulder back at the creep.

 

“What’s your damage, man?” Dipper asked.  He shifted a foot back slightly.  If he could just make a run for it.  The flames were still surrounding him, though.  Could he be damaged by his own magic?  Was this even his magic?

 

“I’m going to end you and the rest of your family for getting in my way,” Gideon shouted back.  “Then Mabel and I will be together!”

 

Oh god, Mabel had found a crazy one.  Dipper groaned internally.  Leave it to his sister to be nice to a psychopath.  It wasn’t really her fault, though.  Mabel was a kind person by nature.  She had no way of knowing that Gideon would become infatuated with her.  Perhaps Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford had known the teenager was a few cards short of a full deck, though.  That was certainly something they could have been told ahead of time.

 

“You do know that by saying you’ll get rid of my family, that includes Mabel, right?” Dipper questioned.  Perhaps he could use that to reason with Gideon.  Unlikely as that was, but he had to try something.

 

“She is mine!”

 

The cerulean flames surrounding Dipper rose at Gideon’s declaration.  They raced toward the young Gleeful like a charging beast.  The teenager struggled to lift a decent chunk of earth to block the attack.  Dipper hadn’t even made a motion for it to come at him.  That was what irked Gideon.  This untalented upstart had practically just gotten these powers and he was already commanding them with a simple thought?  That just wasn’t possible, not without an outside source at least.  Either Dipper had his own conduit like he did, or there was something else at work here.  Gideon would find out, right after he flayed the nuisance.  He was forced to shield his eyes and face from the debris left by the fire’s intercepted attack.

 

Dipper found himself feeling woozy.  He brought a hand to his head as he tried to steady himself.  Was he swaying, or was that one of Gideon’s tricks?  If this was his subconsciously controlled magic it must be taking a lot out of him.  Gideon had the advantage here.  He was more experienced than Dipper.  That amulet was also full of unlimited magical power.  Gideon didn’t have to worry about tiring himself out like he did.  That last attack seemed to be all Dipper had in him.  The cerulean magic vanished, leaving only the triangular scorch marks and trail toward Gideon as proof it was ever there.

 

“Ha!  Let’s see you counter this one now,” Gideon said as he lifted one hand over his head.

 

This time Dipper was the object rising from the ground.  He struggled to no avail.  He didn’t know how to counteract this spell.  All that was left to do was to see what Gideon would do to him.  Dipper had a few guesses, depending on whether the other wanted to end this quickly or not.  If he was lifted high enough simply dropping him would do the trick.  Dipper could picture Gideon throwing him into various things until he stuck as well.  Neither were pleasant ways to go.

 

“No!”

 

A blast of purple light, and seconds later Dipper found himself on the ground once more.  It had not been a long fall at least.  He lifted his head to see Gideon struggling to get up from against a tree.  Dipper shifted to see his savior.  Mabel stood about a yard away from Gideon.  She was breathing a bit heavily after her burst of magic.  Her arms slowly lowered to rest at her sides before she darted over to her brother.

 

“Dipper,” Mabel cried out once she reached him.  She pulled her twin into a protective and relieved hug.  She leaned back a moment later to look him over.  “Are you okay?  Oh, Dipper, I’m so sorry.”

 

“It’s okay, Mabel,” Dipper said with a tired and thankful smile.  “I’m fine.  None of this is your fault.”

 

Both Pines directed their attention back to Gideon.  The psychic fraud had managed to stagger back to his feet.  He had not been prepared for someone else intervening on his revenge scheme.  The opportunity had started out so perfect, too.  Dipper had just been sleeping on a stump in the middle of the forest.  Gideon had ventured in to locate the hidden treasure The Author hinted at, and there was one of the banes of his existence just asking to be extinguished.  In hindsight perhaps it had been far too easy a set up.  He certainly had not expected the late bloomer to suddenly assault him with such power.

 

Gideon lifted his gaze to the Pines.  He flinched at the sight of his beautiful Mabel.  She was not pleased with him it seemed.  Didn’t she understand that this was the only way they would be together?  No, no!  They couldn’t turn her against him now!  He wouldn’t allow it!  She loved him.  She loved him!

 

Mabel stood up with Dipper in her arms.  She waited to make sure her brother could support himself before turning her attention back to Gideon.  The teenager had the audacity to give her a meek smile.  The brunette clenched her fists at her sides before marching over to him with a scowl on her face.  Gideon fidgeted as his eyes darted around nervously.  He offered another shaky grin.

 

“Mabel, dear…”

 

“Don’t you dare come near my brother or the rest of my family ever again,” Mabel shouted at him.  Purple sparks danced in her closed fists.  She raised an authoritative finger to Gideon who flinched at the sight of the swirling magic.  “You mess with my brother and you mess with me.  Don’t let me catch you around here again.”

 

The teenager shrunk back at his dear Mabel’s tone.  They truly had turned her against him.  He could fix this.  Surely there was a way to fix this.  While Gideon struggled to rectify the situation Mabel grabbed his tie and the amulet held there.  His eyes widened when he realized what was happening.  No, he wouldn’t give it up.  He couldn’t give it up.

 

“Wait, don’t…”

 

The tie was ripped from his neck before he could plead his case.  Mabel flung it into a tree, but it didn’t break.  Gideon breathed a sigh of relief at first.  The amulet thunked onto the ground.  It’s collision with the tree had been enough to alert the creature within, however.  A squirrel scurried down from its hole to investigate the blue shiny.  It somehow managed to stuff the object in its expandable cheeks.  Gideon shouted at the varmint.  This startled the little animal.  A pair of bat wings burst from its back and flapped to lift it off the ground.  Gideon chased after it, leaving the twins to make their way home.

 

“Should we make sure he doesn’t stay out here all night?” Dipper wondered aloud.  He knew there were some dangerous creatures out here at night thanks to his research.

 

“I’m sure he’ll find his way home on his own,” Mabel decided.  Gideon surely wasn’t stupid enough to try getting his amulet back in the dead of night.  Mabel would just keep telling herself that.  If they never saw him again it would be too soon, both twins could agree on that much.  She turned her attention back to Dipper with a wide, proud smile.  “And you, Mr. Magic Master.”

 

“You make me sound like a bad comic book villain,” Dipper laughed.  He caught onto what Mabel was saying, though.  He rubbed the back of his neck.  “I’m not sure I can pull all that off again, sadly.  I don’t even know how it worked in the first place.”

 

“Ah, come on, dipping sauce,” Mabel said.  She didn’t want her brother to be all down on himself after that spectacular display.  “Hey, we both managed great feats of magic just now!  Oooh, I can’t wait to tell Tad!”

 

Dipper chuckled at his sister’s enthusiasm.  He went along with it.  It was good to know he had it in him.  He just had to figure out how to truly control it.  There was still that nagging feeling that he was forgetting something, or missing something.  While that magic had clearly been used in his defense, Dipper wasn’t so sure it was his own.  Who else could it belong to, though?  Mabel’s magic was a deep purple, not cerulean blue.  Dipper decided to let it go for now.  He followed Mabel out, ignoring the pull telling him to venture further into the forest.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Mystery Twins will be okay now. For a while...  
> Anyway, there will be another update tomorrow. I am a decent bit ahead right now. Just going through a few edits to 11-14 before moving forward.  
> We haven't seen the last of Little Gideon, and Bud will return at some point as well. More characters will come onto the scene next chapter. Also more details about the workings of this AU's world.


	9. More Than They Let On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mystery Twins are back together, and ready to harness their magical power as one. The Pines family first has to deal with some unwanted visitors. Mabel and Dipper discover that Gideon is not the only threat in Gravity Falls. It seems the knowledge their grunkles hold is sought by some powerful people. Dipper wonders if he will ever be privy to this information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised here is Chapter 9
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: swearing (from Grunkle Stan, obviously), some dialogue heavy exposition, condescending!Tad
> 
> Please enjoy, and let me know your thoughts

 

 

“And then the boulder just split in half,” Mabel exclaimed as she recounted the events in the forest.  “It was separated perfectly through the middle!  Then, then the magic circled it like a lasso and chucked it right at Gideon!”

 

“Okay, sweetie,” Great Uncle Ford said to calm the hyper girl down.  He was happy to know the young twins had patched things up.  He was also proud Dipper had tapped into his magical core.

 

“I wish I could have seen the little twerp’s face,” Grunkle Stan laughed aloud.  It was about time someone gave that pompous fraud what for.  He clapped a hand to Dipper’s shoulder to pull him into a half hug turned noogie attack.  “No one messes with us Pines.”

 

“Grunkle Stan,” Dipper complained as he struggled to get out of the older man’s hold.  He was smiling despite his protests.

 

“What are you thinking, Tad?” Mabel asked the silent demon.  Everyone turned their attention to the purple clad humanoid.  “You’re being awfully quiet.”

 

“Sorry, I was just pondering things,” Tad said.  He glanced away before continuing.  “I have never heard of magic responding to one’s subconscious like that.”

 

“It is not unusual for one’s potential to be awoken through life threatening situations,” Stanford said as a counterpoint.  He wasn’t sure where the demon was going with this.  There was something nagging at him, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

 

“That is true, but usually a barrier is produced in that situation,” Tad stated.  He brought his fist up to his chin in thought.  His violet eyes narrowed in concentration.  “Or they teleport somewhere safe.  It just seems odd that it would suddenly develop so quickly.”

 

“Well, I blasted Gideon into a tree with my magic,” Mabel added in.  She puffed out her chest with pride.

 

“Great job, pumpkin,” Stanley said and promptly offered a high five.

 

“I am probably thinking too hard on this,” Tad relented.  He smiled at Mabel’s declaration.  His charge was learning fast, and now it seemed he and Stanford could finally train the twins together.  “You humans are still surprising me after all these centuries.”

 

“So long as they’re good surprises,” Mabel said with a wide smile.  “If anyone gives you a bad surprise I’ll knock them into a tree.”

 

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Mabel,” Great Uncle Ford said.  He would rather the kids not gain any violent tendencies.  They had Stanley for that, and it had caused enough problems.  There was no way he could keep all of them in check, with or without Tad’s help.

 

“Well, I for one think we’ve had enough adventure for one day,” Stanley said with a stretch.  He stood up and popped his back, making the others cringe.

 

“You didn’t even do anything,” Dipper pointed out.

 

“Hey, I’ll have you know I strained myself quite a bit,” Grunkle Stan said while pointing an accusing finger at his nephew.  “And it is all your fault.”

 

“What, my fault?”

 

“He pulled something in his worry for you,” Tad said to clear up the confusion.  He offered a placating smile when Stanley directed a glare at him.  The man hated for his emotions to be put on the spot like that.  He did have a reputation to uphold after all.

 

“Anyway, I think a rest would be good,” Stanford added in.  “All that magic use can take its toll when you are not used to it.  Sleep will restore your reserves.”

 

“Fine,” Mabel and Dipper relented with a defeated sigh.

 

The girl still seemed rather hyper.  They shouldn’t have let her mix up that Mabel Juice of hers.  Mabel bounded for her room.  Dipper followed until their paths diverged.  He was feeling rather tired.  He just didn’t want to fall asleep.  Maybe he would be too exhausted to dream for once.  Before he could make his way up the stairs Mabel grabbed his arm.  Dipper almost fell on his face when she pulled him down the hall to her room.  He complained the entire way, though it was mostly tired gibberish.  Dipper rubbed at his eyes to fight off the drowsiness.

 

“I wanted to show you something I found,” Mabel said.  This caught her brother’s attention.  She rummaged through a drawer in the writing desk before pulling out an old photograph.  “Look at how young our grunkles used to be!”

 

Dipper took the picture from her.  He didn’t understand why Mabel would be surprised at that.  Did she think old people had never been young?  Boy, would she be in for a rude awakening in another twenty or so years.  Dipper looked more closely at the image before him.  He recognized his great uncles, and there was Tad Strange.  He could guess that the man beside Great Uncle Ford was McGucket.  There was something else familiar about the man.  Then who was…?

 

“Is this Grunkle Stan’s Guardian?” He asked while holding the picture so Mabel could see.

 

“Yeah, Eight-Ball,” Mabel said.  “Tad said they were a lot alike.  Eight-Ball was a brawler, and gambler when given the chance.  Deep down he was a big softy toward those he really cared about, though.  So, yeah, a lot like Grunkle Stan.”

 

“So his cane…,” Dipper didn’t continue his thought there.  They both knew what he meant.

 

“Tad wouldn’t say anything else,” Mabel said.  “It took a while to even get that out of him.  Whatever went down was pretty bad.  The other guy is Fiddleford McGucket.  I kinda thought he was dead until Gideon talked about him living in the dump.”

 

“Yeah, Great Uncle Ford was visiting him while I was looking around for you,” Dipper stated.  The man certainly looked different now.  It wasn’t just the fact that he had two eyes in this picture either.  It was like a before image, and they only knew the after.  What had happened that caused so much damage?  “I guess whatever it was really messed the guy up.”

 

“I think it messed all of them up, dip-dop,” Mabel corrected.  It really did seem like it.  “So, what spooky creepies are in the book?”

 

“What?”

 

“Grunkle Ford gave you all those books to read,” Mabel said.  “Wasn’t this one of them?’

 

Dipper looked back at the photo.  Stanford was holding a book with his handprint pasted on the cover.  It must have been some sort of journal.  Why would Mabel think he had been given that to read?  Dipper couldn’t recall ever seeing it before.  No, he was positive he hadn’t come across it until now.  Could it hold more secrets that Tad and their grunkles were keeping from them?

 

“I’ve honestly never seen it outside of this picture,” Dipper confessed.

 

“Oh, Tad said they recorded the different magical inhabitants of Gravity Falls in there.”

 

“It was never mentioned to me.”

 

“Well, maybe Grunkle Ford put all the notes from there into the other books you got.”

 

The old man better have.  Dipper was getting tired of this feeling that he was left out of everything.  It just felt like their grunkles didn’t trust him.  He sighed to expel the unwanted thoughts.  He was too tired to deal with this now.  If there was something else being kept from them, they would find out soon enough.  That seemed to be how it worked.  Dipper gave Mabel back the picture and headed off to his room.

 

Dipper turned out to be too tuckered out to dream for once _. _  That or the one influencing these nightly visions had gotten bored with him.  There was probably a third possibility, but the brunet was still too weighed down with sleep to come up with it.  He stretched to wake his muscles up at least.  The previous day's events were a bit slow coming back to him.

 

The twenty year old grimaced at the thought of Gideon.  The younger man was quickly brushed aside in favor of what else Dipper may or may not have learned.  Before Gideon had shown up Dipper had drifted off in the middle of the forest.  That had not been his smartest moment.  It had seemed fine at the time.  He could swear someone had lulled him to sleep.  That same being had possibly woken Dipper up when the unwanted human had approached.  Could this influencer of his dreams be trying to communicate?  What did they want from him?

 

Well, they hadn't contacted him on his last sleep cycle.  In a way Dipper was a bit disappointed.  If these were warnings of some kind he needed to be prepared.  What else could they mean?  Was he seeing flashes of events that had already come to pass, or that would happen?  Dipper didn't really have much to go on at this point.  Maybe he just wasn't looking deep enough.

 

The last vision had shown him Eight-Ball; now that Dipper knew the demon as such.  Grunkle Stan’s Guardian had just floated there until releasing an agonized roar, and reverting to the basic sphere that adorned the favored cane.  Tad’s image had appeared shortly after.  He became a simple violet square.  Dipper figured he should record these dreams in a journal.  It might help him piece together what it all meant.  It was certainly helping him recall what he had experienced.  There were actual words this time.

 

Dipper shuddered at the recollection.  He did not care for the implication of those words.  They seemed to be accusing Tad and Eight-Ball of betraying someone.  Dipper had thought his suspicions toward Mabel’s Guardian had been put behind him, but these visions made him question once again.  Then again, the being contacting him could be trying to mess with his head.  Maybe they wanted to isolate Tad from the humans he had come to trust, or they were just targeting Dipper.  Ugh, there were too many possibilities for him to process in that moment.

 

The books told him nothing of use on the subject.  Either Great Uncle Ford had never encountered a being that could influence dreams, or it was just more that he was keeping from Dipper, and Mabel.  If Dipper stayed on the assumption that this was meant to twist his thoughts all up, then Gideon could be behind it.  That amulet may not be the only magical artifact the teenager possessed.  That possibility was scrapped, however, when taking into account that the being had (in a sense) warned Dipper of Gideon’s arrival.  That put him back at square one again.  What he needed to find out was if this was a friend or foe.  Did this being mean him and his family harm, or was it just some trickster playing mind games?  How did he go about finding out anyway?

 

“I already told you slime balls, no,” Grunkle Stan’s shouting could probably be heard into the next town.

 

The brunet closed up his notes to see what was going on.  Dipper made his way downstairs to find Mabel standing next to her demon in the hallway.  Great Uncle Ford was just ahead of them behind his brother.  Dipper could barely see beyond them.  He managed to pick out a few men in suits.  A sinking feeling settled in his stomach at the look of them.

 

One was a balding man with a mustache.  Dipper assumed this was the head of whatever authority they represented, or at least a high operative.  A younger man with military cut light brown hair stood slightly beside and to the left of him, clean shaven.  They were the only ones not wearing sunglasses by what Dipper could pick out beyond them.  What did these officials want?  It couldn’t be anything good, of that Dipper was sure.

 

“We have it on good authority that you are in violation of Code Thirteen of the Demonic Entity and Human Endangerment Act of--”

 

“I don’t know nothing about your convoluted paperwork,” Stanley interrupted the balding man.  The only reason he had not slammed the door in their faces was because this man had a hand forcing it open.

 

“You don’t know anything about it, Stanley,” Stanford corrected his brother.  Old habits die hard, after all.  “Or you know nothing of it.”

 

“I don’t have time for your grammar checks,” Grunkle Stan said with a glare at his twin.  So help him if the jerk started taking these suits’ side.  He turned his attention back to their unwanted visitors.  “I don’t care what lying son of a bitch directed you here; you’re wasting your time here.  More importantly you are wasting mine.”

 

“If there is a portal in this town the government is to be informed immediately, Mr. Pines,” the younger agent stated snidely.

 

“There are no portals here,” Stanford said simply.  Dipper and Mabel gave each other a confused look.  “Nobody has come across one in roughly thirty years now.”

 

“We already have counter statements from the citizens,” the head agent informed.  This did not change the Pines’ stance.  “We have other information that violates a number of class acts, gentlemen.”

 

“Like hell you do,” Stanley sneered at the man.

 

“Actually, sirs,” Tad said to draw everyone’s attention.  His hands rested behind his back as he stepped closer to better have the agents’ undivided attention.  “I believe any and all concerns for that have been completely misunderstood.”

 

“And you are?”

 

“Tad Strange,” the demon said with a slight bow.  He was nothing if not a gentleman in these situations.  Well, gentle-demon, but technicalities and all that.

 

“Ah, yes, the demon,” the mustache sporting man deduced.  “You will have to come with us.”

 

“You are in violation of Code Six of the--”

 

“Oh shove it up your ass, shit head,” Stanley shouted at the young agent.  The official looked about ready to handcuff him on the spot.

 

“Trigger, I believe simply stating the requirements in the Act will suffice,” the leader amended.  His lackey appeared rather put out by this.

 

“Very well, sir,” Trigger said with forced calm.  “Any unbound demon must be registered in the government’s system.  Newly bonded humans and their demonic guardians must notify the proper channels within thirty days of discovery of said link.  These are precautions taken to limit the threat of rogue and feral demons.”

 

“Well, now there is where you’re confused,” Tad said.  Everyone seemed surprised that he had interrupted the man.  “I have made it no secret that I live in this town.  I have been here since Qui… ahm, since its founding.  This is known to every citizen of Gravity Falls.”  The demon gave the men a condescending smile.  “Now, I don’t know how this registration process truly works, but as my presence is so well known, and if this database is fully up to date as I hope it would be, then I believe I would already be there.”

 

Another agent tapped his leader on the shoulder.  The sunglass wearing operative silently handed over a stack of papers.  He then glanced away in a way that almost resembled embarrassment.  Trigger leaned over to study the documents over his boss’ shoulder.  They both seemed to shift in a manner of unease.  Clearly these papers held some interesting information.

 

“May I inquire as to the nature of your findings, Agent Powers?” Tad asked in a tone that suggested he knew exactly what was printed there.

 

“Yes, well,” Powers cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment.  “It seems our sources were misinformed, and our staff failed to look into the matter before hand.”

 

“It happens,” Tad said, though his tone suggested he thought the entire agency was a sham.  “Perhaps next time you should take the initiative to dig a bit yourself, Agent Powers.  Not that I would know how to do your job any better.”

 

“There is still the matter of an unregistered human-demon pair,” Trigger butted in.  He was either a new recruit or a suck up to his superiors.  “We do have positive documentation that your bond with one Mabel Pines was only recently solidified, yet she is age twenty.  That is two years past the age of receiving one’s Guardian.”

 

“You will also see that they were registered at that time,” Stanford chimed in.  He came forward to offer to find the line that would prove this statement.  “Right here, gentlemen!  I did the paperwork myself in fact.  Mabel and her brother, Dipper, simply did not come to Gravity Falls until a few weeks ago.”

 

“And this ‘Dipper’ does not possess a demon?” Powers asked just to be sure.  The agents were grasping at straws now.

 

“A mark never appeared for him,” Stanford said.

 

“If that is all, agents,” Tad said in lieu of forcing the men off the property.  “I am sure it is a long drive back to your headquarters.  Safe travels.”

 

“And don’t come back,” Stanley shouted once the men in suits were retreating to their cars.  He promptly slammed the door and slumped against it.  “I swear, if it’s not that twerp Gideon it’s those money grubbing Northwests!”

 

“We have no real proof that either went to the authorities,” Tad said.  It was meant to calm the man, but Stan just glared at the demon.  Tad shrugged with a smile.  “I mean, if the government got too involved they couldn’t go through with their plans of harnessing the power within the forest.”

 

“They can’t harness it anyway,” Ford added in.  He let out a tired sigh.  “Thankfully.”

 

“Didn’t you just lie right to their faces?” Dipper questioned.  Everyone seemed to remember that he and Mabel were still in the room.  “Won’t they come back when they realize you lied about the portal?”

 

“We didn’t lie about anything,” Stanley said in hopes of it dropping there.

 

“But that was the whole reason Mabel had to wait two years to meet Tad, wasn’t it?” Dipper asked, now getting angry.

 

“No, Dipper,” Tad said calmly.  That seemed to be his only setting, and it infuriated the brunet.  “There is no portal.  I guard the forest here.  There are creatures within it that are extremely dangerous.  I have a spell to keep them contained, but it prevents me from leaving the town.  If I did the barrier would weaken, and the monsters would escape the forest.”

 

“Without that barrier the townspeople would be forced indoors with protective spells throughout each home,” Great Uncle Ford continued.  Whether it was the truth, or if he was just trying to compound on Tad’s excuse was lost to Dipper.  He didn’t know what to believe anymore, or who.  “No one could live here if Tad left.”

 

“You claimed it was a portal before,” Dipper pointed out.  He would reveal the holes in their story one way or another.

 

“It is a cover we use often,” Stanley threw in with little care.  This only made Dipper more suspicious.  “The threat of stumbling onto a portal to Hell is better deterrent than mindless beasts roaming the woods.  People are just stupid like that.”

 

Dipper at least pretended to buy it.  He really wasn’t sure.  He wasn’t sure of anything in that moment.  The thought that they kept hiding things from him just wouldn’t go away.  Dipper hated not knowing.  He hated that they were treating him like a little kid.  Why couldn’t he know these things?  Was Mabel learning the truth and not telling him?  She wouldn’t do that to him, would she?

 

The brunet failed to stop the frustrated groan these questions caused.  His sudden outburst surprised the others.  He stormed out of the room without a word.  No one tried to stop him in that moment.  Maybe they were stewing in their shame of lying to him.  More like their shame of being caught lying!  He didn’t want to think about this right now.  Dipper would call Wendy when he got to his room, or Soos.  He needed to talk with someone that wouldn’t lie to him.

 

“So,” Mabel spoke up, drawing out the word to break up the uneasy silence after her brother’s exit.  “Grunkle Stan said something about the Northwests possibly being involved.”

 

“Preston is after my research,” Stanford said with an annoyed sigh.  “He believes deep in the forest rests a means to great power and riches.  He’ll do about anything to get his hands on it.  The only thing holding him back is his family’s reputation.”

 

“If there was such a thing worth it in these woods,” Stanley began with a scheming grin.  “I would have already grabbed it up for myself.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing new comments and kudos produces happy noises from me xD  
> Chances are Agents Powers and Trigger will return, eventually.
> 
> Chapter 10 will be up next weekend! 
> 
> Z wzipmvhh zkkilzxsvh


	10. Do Not Summon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Mabel are finally beginning their training together. Ford and Tad have agreed to take things slow and ease their pupil and Charge into discovering their vast magical potential. Dipper still feels that the Stan twins and Tad are hiding something, and he is determined to find the truth. While Mabel is having a girl's day out, her brother sneaks back into the forest. Instead of answers there are just more questions. Will Dipper survive his encounter with the dangerous monsters of Gravity Falls?
> 
> Not without the help of an even deadlier creature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's happening! It's finally happening!
> 
> Okay, so warnings: blood, life threatening situations, more grunkles withholding information, more angry Dipper angst, some Journal #3 spoilers (I used a monster found in there), also some grunkle feels/grunkles bonding
> 
> I hope it was worth the wait ;)

 

 

Purple energy danced around Mabel’s fingers.  She carefully juggled a small ball of magic in her palms.  It was more of an egg shape than a perfect sphere as she was meant to be practicing.  Its small size was due to her hesitance to push more magic into it.  If Mabel made it too big she would lose control.  At its current size it would not evaporate at the slightest breeze, but it was barely retaining a solid form.  It was a bit like jello in Mabel’s opinion, but less cubed.  She breathed in the calming manner Tad had instructed.  Her magic held together slightly better.

 

“You’re doing fine, Mabel,” Tad encouraged.  The pride was evident in his voice.

 

Mabel smiled before carefully pushing more magic into her bubble.  It grew, but only slightly.  She was still being cautious with it.  The knowledge that Tad would coax her through it helped.  Mabel just wanted to be able to do this on her own, and that required concentration.  It was surprising she could hold this still for so long.  Something about her Guardian’s presence helped.  There was also the fact that Dipper was now able to join her.  He was having a harder time, however.

 

The first time he produced magic had been an accident.  Well, it was either magic or die basically.  This time Dipper didn’t feel threatened, though, and that may be what was tripping him up.  The added adrenaline must have been what his magic needed to form.  Without it he didn’t know what to do.  At least Great Uncle Ford understood, and Tad tried to help as much as possible while mostly focusing on Mabel.  Dipper just needed to stay calm, or maybe not.  What if his powers were waiting on an emotional cue?

 

What if he couldn’t produce any magic unless his life was in danger?

 

How was he supposed to improve if his powers wouldn’t obey him?

 

What if it got out of control because he couldn’t rein it in?

 

Dipper couldn’t become one of those recluse mountain dwellers because of his magic.  What about his friends and family?  How would he help Mabel if he couldn’t be near her?  No!  He would get this.  He had to get this!  His hands suddenly felt warm.  Dipper hadn’t realized that he had closed his eyes until that moment.  A yellow flame danced in his hands.  It was yellow?

 

“But it was blue before,” Dipper thought aloud.

 

“Cerulean actually, bro-bro,” Mabel corrected matter-of-factly.

 

“Sorry not all of us are art experts like you,” Dipper said with a note of playful teasing.

 

“That is peculiar,” Great Uncle Ford pondered.  He brought a hand up to adjust his glasses.  “It is not uncommon for magic to change colors, but it usually happens after years.  I’ve never heard of it altering so much in only a few days.”  The man rubbed at his chin before directing his attention to their resident demon.  “What do you think, Tad?”

 

“It is odd for it to change so quickly, as you said,” Tad said.  His mouth quirked in thought.  Something wasn’t sitting right with him about all this.  The demon just couldn’t figure out what it was in that moment.  “Usually it should at least transition to a different shade.  Going from blue, uh… cerulean… to such a vibrant yellow is quite odd.”

 

“Don’t you mean it’s rather… Strange?” Mabel asked before bursting out laughing.  Tad chuckled along with her.  He completely forgot what was bothering him about the color, about a lot of this.

 

“Well, it’s more than a spark,” Dipper said.  He was still questioning why it had changed so drastically.  Should he really be complaining, though?  He could use magic.  It was just a matter of getting it to do what he wanted, and increasing his stamina with it.

 

It felt different from last time, too.  Well, he couldn’t feel his magic the last time.  It just added more fuel to his belief that it had been someone else’s magic.  Did that mean someone was defending him against Gideon?  Who was it, and why?  Were they a friend, or just an enemy of Gideon?  It wasn’t like these questions would be answered anytime soon.

 

Dipper already had enough questions bothering him.  Most of them pertained to his family, namely his grunkles and why they didn’t trust him with the whole truth.  Granted he believed Mabel to be in the same boat.  Then again Tad could be sharing secrets with her behind everyone’s backs.  Mabel was terrible at keeping secrets, though.  Dipper could picture her doing so for Tad.  Somehow it seemed like the demon could convince Mabel to hold a secret.  He had no idea why he thought that.  Maybe there was just something about the bond between a human and their demon.  It was something Dipper would never know, not first hand at least.

 

“Okay, you two,” Ford said, drawing everyone’s attention.  “I think we can stop for now.  You kids should eat something to keep your energy up.  Magic uses up a lot, especially when you’re just getting used to it.”

 

Mabel and Dipper ate lunch with their grunkles and Tad.  The demon departed on some important errand afterwards.  Tad claimed he would return before dusk, needing to discuss matters with the more docile inhabitants of the forest.  Mabel wished him luck before she, too, left the Mystery Shack.  She had a girls’ day with Wendy and others to enjoy.  Dipper headed into town with her for a free afternoon of his own.

 

The second the twins parted ways Dipper located a store that would have what he needed.  Hopefully he had enough cash on him to gather the supplies required for traversing the forest.  It was dangerous, but Dipper wanted answers.  He needed them, in fact.  If the others were not forthcoming then he would just find out the truth himself.  Dipper would discover if there was a portal in the woods, or if it was just the creatures within.  Surely something had to be there to interest so many people.

 

Tad was forced to stay here because of it, or just decided leaving would cause more problems.  Gideon was probably after whatever Great Uncle Ford and Grunkle Stan were hiding.  That was their reason for the two families hating each other, or one of them at least.  Then there were the Northwests.  Dipper had yet to really encounter them himself.  Mabel had had that dance competition with Pacifica, but all they found out was that she disguised herself to go out and apparently had a demon no one had laid eyes on.  If the head of the family was after Great Uncle Ford’s research, though, it could not be for anything good.  Dipper had to know what it was they were really after.

 

Dipper managed to gather what he felt would help him in the forest.  He had no plans of staying when it got dark, but purchased a flashlight and a set of batteries for it anyway.  He grabbed up a camera to record any new findings.  Despite his hesitance to keep such a thing, he had bought a hunting knife.  He had a pocket knife from his fourteenth birthday, but that might not cut it against something that actually wanted him dead.  Last was rope and climbing gear.  Dipper honestly wasn’t sure what to expect on a journey potentially taking him deep into the woods of Gravity Falls.  It was best to be prepared.  Thankfully his pack was big enough.

 

This could be a good opportunity to get some experience using his magic, but Dipper wouldn’t rely solely on that.  He was too new at it to put his confidence there fully.  Of course he had also brought a few of Great Uncle Ford’s books.  Dipper needed to be aware of what plants and animals were most dangerous while he trekked through the forest.  The book on magical hotspots was his main source.  If a portal did reside near Gravity Falls, it would be at one of those.

 

The brunet set off, careful not to be spotted by anyone who could tell his family.  The last thing he needed was to worry them.  His real worry was possibly getting lost.  Dipper had decided before going about all this that he would stick to a straight path as much as possible.  If he had to diverge he would make sure there was a landmark to guide him back.  The only person that knew he was doing this was Wendy.  She had been concerned, but supportive.  He was to contact her before Mabel’s girls’ day out was over.  If he failed to do so Wendy would spill the beans to the Pines and Tad.  Dipper was confident in his own abilities for this not to be a problem.

 

It took a while for Dipper to locate the first magical hotspot he wanted to check.  A glistening pool of water greeted him.  The brunet didn’t dare get too close.  There were merpeople in the pond, or they could be sirens.  It was hard to tell the difference until the one species decided to eat you.  By then, without assistance, you were pretty much doomed to have your soul sucked out, along with your innards.  Dipper backed away from the area.  He had no plans in being their next victim if they were sirens.  He decided it was best to head for the next spot.

 

Dipper found himself fleeing from a pack of gnomes and their pet squirrels.  They did not chase him for long, thankfully.  He quickly added a note to his journal not to venture near the Gnome Kingdom.  Apparently the species wasn’t too fond of humans, at least not ones that invaded their territory.  He would have to check with Great Uncle Ford about the entry of their queen.

 

It was onto another area indicated in the book.  It was probably time to take a snack break actually.  At least Dipper had made sure to pack a number of energy bars and water bottles.  He figured he could check on two more areas before he should text Wendy.  He would rather not risk being out when it got dark.  The creatures Great Uncle Ford had written about just sounded too terrifying to come across.  He tightened the cap on his bottle and stuffed the empty wrapper into his pocket.  Yeah, two more spots sounded like a good idea to him at that point.

 

When the brunet got to his feet he heard the sound of conversation a short distance away.  Dipper started creeping toward the source as silently as he could.  He kept an eye on his footing to avoid any twigs or crunchy leaves.  He stopped dead when it was close enough to make out the actual words.  Dipper unfortunately recognized the voice.

 

“What good are any of you if you can’t direct me out of here?” Gideon shouted at his five companions.  “Mother must be worried sick, and father, too.  Ugh.  Can’t you mindless fools do anything?”

 

Those he was yelling at just stood there silently.  Well, the largest one stood there, the four little creatures jumped around restlessly.  The towering… man?  was shirtless, revealing rippling muscles.  His lower half was covered in fur all the way down to hoofed feet.  His head was between a man and a bull.  Large, dangerous looking horns stuck out of his head above furry ears.  His eyes, void of pupils, were set like a human, but his snout was definitely not.  His hair was long, matching the auburn color of his fur.  Dipper recognized the beast-man as a manotaur from his readings.

 

The little jumpy things Dipper wished he hadn’t seen.  They were bigger than gnomes, but still shorter than most humans.  They were trying to stay out of the sunlight filtering down through the trees.  Dipper did not like the razor teeth visible inside their wide smiling mouths.  They had no eyes that Dipper could tell.  Even from this distance he could make out the claws each finger ended in.  A worn straw hat adorned each creatures head.  Their pants were old and torn.  Dipper realized they were overalls.  Even he could pick out their horrid smell from a lack of hygiene, not that the manotaur smelled much better surely.  The name came to Dipper with a chill down his spine:  Killbillies.

 

Apparently Gideon had stayed out after dark that night.  It was the only way he could have run into such creatures.  How had they not torn him apart?  How were they just there with him and the manotaur without eating (or attempting to eat) either?  Dipper looked at the man-beast’s eyes again.  Was that mind control?  He wished that wasn’t the case, but no other possibility was forthcoming.  How had Gideon pulled that off?  Dipper didn’t see the amulet on the teenager, but he did notice something else in his hands.  An old reddish book with a golden, six fingered hand in the center front cover.

 

“Great Uncle Ford’s journal,” Dipper whispered a bit too loudly.

 

The brunet quickly covered his mouth.  He ducked behind the tree beside him.  Dipper pressed against it, trying to become one with the bark.  He could hear the sounds of the Killbillies picking up on him.  Dammit!  Dipper could only hope Gideon didn’t catch on, and could keep the horrors from investigating further.  He never had that great of luck, though.

 

“You better be heading for the way out,” Gideon said angrily.  He followed his minions with the bull-beast keeping his pace.

 

The teen stopped when he decided the creature should carry him out.  He had been on his feet enough.  Gideon would also not be within range of the Killbillies.  Reining them in had been a painful and terrifying endeavor.  Luckily he had brought the journal with him.  The creatures (when under his control) were at least useful enough to bring him sustenance.  Thankfully they knew how to cook it properly as well.  Squirrel stew wasn’t so bad, but there was no way Gideon would have any part of that roasted skunk they attempted to feed him the first time.  He should have another day until he would have to recite the spell to keep them in line.  Why there was a limit on it only the Author knew.  Whoever they had been, sometimes they were rather stupid if you asked Gideon.

 

The killbillies were jumping about like mad now.  They would not go past the couple trees just ahead.  Gideon had been getting used to their backwards behaviors.  He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  The creatures were waiting for him to give the go-ahead.  Apparently they felt they had found a meal, or just some poor other beast to torment.  The teen didn’t care.  He wanted to go home.

 

“No,” Gideon said, to which the beasts dared to protest.  “We’re getting out of here.  No more distractions!”

 

One of the beasts dared to hiss at him.  It pointed a finger at one of the trees.  Clearly they would not leave whatever it was alone.  Gideon sighed.  Even under his control these things were unruly.  Well, it was either mind control or let them eat him, so clearly he had chosen the better option.  The second he was safely home he would send them back to their little hovel.  With a frustrated groan he gave in.

 

“Show me, then!”

 

There was shuffling and movement that distracted all of them.  Gideon blinked at the sight of a familiar blue hoodie darting off.  He smiled cruelly.  So his little minions were alerting him to Dipper Pines’ presence.  If he had listened beforehand they would have the nuisance in their clutches by now.  Oh well, that would show him to question a mind controlled beast’s loyalty.  There was only one thing left to do.

 

“I want him alive,” Gideon decided.  It was all the cue the demented things needed.  They gave chase.

 

Gideon knew they would have their fun.  Just because he wanted Dipper alive didn’t mean they couldn’t ruff up the thorn in his side.  He knew the killbillies would do just that.  That would teach him a lesson for sure.  Then Gideon could use the brat to trap the rest of the Pines.  Mabel would be his, and that wretched demon would be forced to give up the location of his well guarded treasure.  Dipper may have a head start, but the Killbillies were ruthless beasts.  There were no convenience stores to save Dipper Pines for some distance.

 

Dipper ran as fast as his legs would carry him.  He knew his backpack and the supplies within were slowing him down, though.  He could hear the laughter of the killbillies getting closer.  He made a sharp left after a tree.  It sounded like a few got tripped up by his sudden change of course.  Dipper wasn’t about to look back to find out.  The worst part was that his neck was stinging again.  This was not the time for that kind of distraction.  He made a sharp right.  He was getting lost, and he knew it.  His priority was to live, though, and that was only possible if he escaped these bloodthirsty creatures.

 

_ Help me _

 

The brunet knew his mental pleading would not reach anyone.  Even if he shouted it there was no one to save him.  Would these creatures just torture and kill him on the spot, or would they drag him back to Gideon?  Probably the latter, but likely after the torture.  Desperate tears began to fall from his eyes, blurring his vision.  He had to make it out of this.  He needed to call Wendy so she knew he was okay.  He needed to make sure Mabel wasn’t told of what he did.  He couldn’t let his family worry about him.  Dipper would see them again.  He had to see them again.

 

One of the killbillies tackled him to the ground.  Dipper struggled to fight it off.  Its claws dug into his arms, fighting to reach more delicate areas of his body.  A yellow coated fist was brought back to punch it.  The beast yelped, forced away so Dipper could stagger back to his feet and into a run.  He could feel the blood running down his arms as adrenaline pumped to keep him moving.  The killbillies were angry now, he could tell by their change in cries.

 

_ Someone, please _

 

Dipper stumbled a few times.  He knew every misstep allowed these horrors to gain on him.  His only salvation was the times light filtered down through the trees.  The killbillies avoided the sun’s rays each time, but kept up their pursuit.  Dipper wondered if they would be just as determined if Gideon was not controlling them.  He recalled from the notes that they would pursue anyone as far as the tree line, fighting to go further.  No, they would still be out for his blood, and everything else.  They likely just wouldn’t be so dogged during the daylight.  In short, Gideon’s control was making them more dangerous.

 

_ Anyone _

 

A tree root stuck up to trip him.  It had not moved, but Dipper had not been as attentive to what was in his foot’s path.  He brought his hands forward to catch himself.  His eyes were forced shut before impact.  The last thing he saw before his hands met solidity was a grey statue looking at him with one slit pupil eye.  It felt surprisingly warm.  He could hear the Killbillies stop a short distance away.  Why had they stopped?

 

The wind swirled around him.  Dipper swore it got darker.  That was not good.  The only thing hindering the killbillies before had been the sun.  If it was gone what hope did he have left?  The howl of the wind changed to sound like a laugh.  It continued, somehow more deranged than the Killbillies’ had been.  A shiver ran down the human’s back.  Strangely enough a warmth spread out from the back of his neck.  He heard one of his pursuers launch itself his way.

 

Without much thought Dipper turned.  He brought up an arm to shield from the attack.  It was then he realized that his arm was covered by a shield.  Dipper blinked in confusion as the killbilly clawed at the solid gold object.  The brunet had no idea where it had come from.  Its coloring made him wonder if it was constructed from his magic.  The back of his neck was buzzing.  He realized that the laughing wind had stopped.

 

“Come on, kid,” an echoing voice filled the air.  Dipper blinked.  He could swear it came from the shield.  “Surely you can come up with better than this.”

 

Before Dipper could say anything the killbilly cried out in surprise and pain.  It backed off with a hiss.  Dipper realized that his shield had suddenly sprouted spikes.  He took a quick glance at the front of it.  The spikes were arranged around a triangular pattern in the center.  There was a slit pupil eye there.  The human could swear it curved to resemble a smile, and that the gesture was directed at him.

 

“See, Pine Tree,” the voice again.  “These morons will just keep coming unless you play a little offense.  Shields up!”

 

Dipper brought his arm (and talking? shield) up just in time to block another killbilly.  The voice directed him each time one tried to get the jump on him (them?).  He tried not to question it all.  The times he did hesitate had a set of sharp claws catching his skin.  The voice told him to be quicker in those moments.  It urged him to trust the advice given.  Dipper hesitated less and less until it seemed like the voice barely had to exist.  The sensation at the back of his neck was like a guiding hand, welcome and comforting.

 

The killbillies hardly seemed deterred.  Either they were stupid, or just that determined.  It could also be Gideon’s mind control.  Dipper was tiring from each blocked hit, and the handful he had managed against his opponents.  They, on the other hand, were not tiring.  What did he do now?  Even with this shield he seemed to have little chance.  It seemed like continuing to run had been the better option.

 

_ I’m going to die _

 

“Not on my watch, Pine Tree,” the voice objected.

 

The grass around Dipper’s feet caught fire.  A scorch in the familiar shape of a triangle appeared.  Dipper’s breath caught at the sight of cerulean flames.  The magic from before had not been his after all, but how was this possible?  What, or who was helping him?  Dipper flinched when all four killbillies bounced off the created force field.  The fire followed the creatures.  The brunet cringed at the sound of their cries as they burned.  That demented laughter returned.

 

Dipper barely registered the shield leaving his arm.  It glowed before becoming a triangle of golden light, then taking on a different shape entirely.  The brunet recognized the outline of a person, but what resulted was something else entirely.  Bright golden hair was messily slicked back.  The right eye remained closed in that moment.  On the left side, instead of an eye there was a void.  It was like a tear in reality itself marring the goldenrod skin.  Dipper forced his gaze away from the pulling depths to notice pointed ears.

 

The being was clothed in a yellow waist coat with black triangular buttons over a white button up.  A black bow tie was expertly done around the demon’s neck, matching the small top hat floating just over the golden blonde hair.  A pair of black slacks led down to a set of yellow alligator dress shoes.  Around their middle was a golden belt with a matching triangle buckle.  Dipper took in the sleeves of the button down shirt.  The left was cuffed up to the elbow, revealing more goldenrod colored skin.  This stopped at the wrist where a black glove began.  At least Dipper thought it was a glove until he noted how each finger ended with a rather sharp tapering.  The other arm had a blue glow around it much like the magical energy Dipper was becoming familiar with.  The energy started at the torn shoulder of that sleeve.  It was see through, showing a skeletal structure instead of skin.  The ends of the blackened finger bones also appeared rather sharp.

 

The brunet couldn’t help but flinch when he heard the being inhale.  That closed eye opened to reveal a yellow cat’s eye.  The demon’s mouth curved into a smile, widening impossibly so to show off teeth that would shock even those killbillies.  Dipper gulped at the thought, though he was unsure if it was because of thinking about those horrors or this one before him.  The demon towered over him a decent bit.  That slit pupil flicked around to take in the surroundings until finally landing on Dipper.  The brunet just stared, feeling that steadying hand at the back of his neck again.

 

“Well, well, well, well,” the golden demon spoke with that echoing, high-pitch of the shield.  Dipper did flinch when the demon suddenly appeared directly in front of him.  He was floating with his legs bent, both hands behind his classily dressed back.  That yellow eye narrowed, but the smile seemed to soften.  “Aren’t you a sight for sore eye.  The name’s Bill Cipher!”

 

Dipper flinched at the offered skeletal hand.  He would rather not shake that, but he also did not want to appear rude.  There was no telling how this demon would react.  Hesitantly he shook the offered hand.  This clearly pleased Bill, as his smile returned to that too wide, sharp toothed look.  Dipper was still intimidated by the other.  The only demon he knew was Tad.  Mabel’s second hand accounts of Eight-Ball weren’t really that much to go on in his opinion.  Just because this demon had been helpful before did not mean he would continue to be pleasant.

 

“So what brings you to my neck of the woods, Pine Tree?” Bill asked after taking his hand back.  He ignored the strange tingling that persisted from touching the human.  There was an urge to keep doing so that he also pushed back.  “You must have really pissed those guys off to have them chase you in the middle of the day!”

 

“Well, uh, I was trying to find the portal said to be hidden in these woods,” Dipper confessed sheepishly.  He wondered if Bill knew anything about it.  “Then I kind of ran into this creep, Gideon, and he sent those things after me.”

 

“Hm, that would explain them being out at this time,” Bill said as he pondered this information.  Someone using mind control did sound like a problem.  Maybe he should pay this ‘creep’ a visit.  It would serve Gideon right for messing with Pine Tree.  The kid was his first interaction since events Bill would rather put behind him.  “Tell you what, kid, I’ll convince this Gideon to leave you alone, and in exchange you’ll be my friend!  Sound like a decent deal?”

 

“Uhm, I’d rather someone not be killed on my behalf, thanks,” Dipper answered nervously.  He did not want to offend Bill, but he didn’t exactly want Gideon to suffer that horribly.  Something told him Bill Cipher wasn’t the completely friendly eccentric he was currently letting show.

 

“No killing, huh?” Bill clarified with a thoughtful frown.  It was clear that made things harder for him, but the upturn of his lips suggested he would be more entertained.  Dipper found himself sitting in the grass.  The frown returned to the demon’s face.  “You really got worked over in that fight, didn’t you, kid?”

 

“The running beforehand probably didn’t help,” Dipper said.  It must be the adrenaline wearing off, plus the loss of some blood.  The brunet held his head with a tired groan.

 

“Alright, alright, new deal then,” Bill suggested.  Dipper glanced up to find him in a thinking pose.  Bill snapped his fingers when something came to him.  He looked far too pleased with himself.  “I’ll fix you up, and in exchange you keep this meeting of ours a secret.  I think that’s fair.”

 

That unnerving hand extended to Dipper.  He stared at it, noting how the energy around it brightened and flickered like a flame.  It didn’t really sound like that bad of a deal.  Making deals with demons just sounded like a recipe for disaster to him.  Granted that was because of all the warnings drilled into him for years.  If Dipper had learned anything since coming to Gravity Falls, it was that there were some demons that could be trusted.  Maybe Bill Cipher wasn’t so different from Tad Strange.  He was just, ironically, the stranger of the two.  Dipper decidedly clasped the skeletal hand to seal the deal.  

 

Chocolate eyes widened when the off colored flames encompassed his hand, then climbed up his arm.  He was unable to follow its path all the way.  It seemed to disappear around his shoulder.  He felt a cooling sensation, but it was not unpleasant.  The second his hand was released he studied it for any signs of burns, but he looked perfectly fine.  A glance up at Bill showed the demon must be just as confused.

 

“I don’t think that’s ever happened during a deal,” Bill said with a curious tilt of his head.  Dipper tried not to focus on the irregular patch of void.  Bill shrugged it off.  “Well, you’re good as new, Pine Tree!  I’ll leave you to find your way out.”

 

“Wait,” Dipper blurted out.  He fidgeted when he regained Bill’s attention.  “Uhm, about the portal around…”

 

“It doesn’t exist, kid,” Bill said simply.  He waved his left hand dismissively.  “Trust me; there are no portals to worry about.  Shouldn’t be at least.”

 

“Oh,” Dipper breathed, a bit disappointed if he was honest.  Then again, it was for the best there wasn’t one.  That still left the question of what everyone seemed to be after in this place.  “So, where are you going?”

 

“As far from this hick town as possible,” Bill decided.  He turned to head off.  A glance back at the human gave him pause, however.  Bill sighed at the thought of offending the kid.  “It’s nothing personal, Pine Tree.  I’m just tired of being stuck here.  I’ve been a statue long enough.  I like my freedom.  Maybe I’ll visit once I’ve gotten over that, or feel the need to see you.”

 

“You would want to see me?” Dipper questioned.  He barely knew this demon after all.  Perhaps it was just Bill’s way of showing his gratitude for not being a statue anymore.  It still gave him a warm feeling to think about, for some reason.

 

“Sure, why not?” Bill responded cheerily.  His smile certainly made Dipper hopeful.  The demon floated off the ground again, higher this time.  “See you in your dreams, kid!”

 

Dipper blinked, and his new friend vanished in a burst of golden light and blue fire.  He would be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed Bill left so quickly.  He could understand, though.  If Dipper had been trapped as a statue in one place, he would want as far away as possible the second he was out.  He hoped he would see Bill Cipher again.  Dipper couldn’t help feeling uneasy around the demon, but he also felt safe around him.  Weird contradiction.  He shook his head at the thought.

 

A quick double check of his supplies revealed that the killbillies had torn his backpack.  Thankfully none of them were wide enough to have the contents spilling out.  Dipper couldn’t believe he had forgotten about his hunting and pocket knives while attempting to escape the creatures.  He sighed and shook his head.  Dipper fixed the bag back on his shoulders before heading for the exit.  He really hoped he was going in the right direction.  It was too bad he had promised Bill not to mention him to anyone.  That seemed like quite the experience to share with Mabel.  At least now he knew the portal had been a lie after all.  Perhaps he should have asked Bill what was hidden in the forest that someone would want.

 

The second Dipper returned to the Mystery Shack he sent Wendy a text message.  He was home, he was safe, and there was nothing to worry about.  Granted Gideon was still lurking about, and with deadly minions lying in wait.  They could take them, together at least.  Tad would probably be able to handle the problem easily.  There was the question of how Gideon had Great Uncle Ford’s journal.  Dipper debated bringing it up with the man.  It didn’t guarantee him a truthful answer after all.

 

“Dipper, you’re back early,” Ford said as soon as he saw his nephew close the door.  He saw the torn bag and became concerned.  “Are you alright?”

 

“Yeah, Great Uncle Ford,” Dipper said with a smile to ease the man’s worry.  He dropped the backpack and pulled out his books.  The other supplies could probably stay inside for now.  Dipper paused when his first plan had been heading to his room.  “Actually, I ran into Gideon again.”

 

“What?” Stanford Pines practically tackled his nephew to check his physical well being.  “What did he do this time?  Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” Dipper repeated calmly.  “He sent some creatures after me, but I managed to get away.  He had a book with him.  It... I think it’s yours.”

 

“He sent creatures after you?” Ford questioned, having trouble understanding that part.  Realization dawned on him a second later.  He stood up and gave Dipper a hard look.  “You went into the forest again.  Dipper, it’s dangerous in there!  I thought you learned that the last time!”

 

“The last time it was just Gideon,” Dipper said.  He found himself getting angry that his great uncle was scolding him like some child.  “It’s not like I went there when it was dark out!”

 

“What if you had been out longer?” Stanford asked to make his point, or try.  Did his nephew really not think?  “You could have gotten lost, or worse!  Did you even tell anyone you were going?  I can’t see Mabel being okay with it after the last incident.”

 

“I told Wendy,” Dipper said with a scowl.  His fists clenched at his sides.  He could use magic now.  Maybe not well, but he could.  Even without it, Dipper knew how to defend himself for the most part.  “She had instructions should I not check in at designated times.”

 

“You still went alone,” Ford pointed out.

 

Dipper let out a frustrated sound and stormed off.  Why was he being treated like a child all the time?  If it wasn’t Ford thinking he needed constant supervision it was the man hiding things from him!  He ignored the man’s orders to return and finish their conversation.  It was no conversation, it was a lecture.  Dipper didn’t need lectured.  He slammed his door shut.

 

Stanford Pines remained at the bottom of the steps to the second floor.  He heard the slamming of his nephew’s door.  The man let out a frustrated sound much like the one Dipper had used earlier.  He stormed off toward his lab.  An arm caught him just as he was turning into the shop.  Stanley had been making it a point to keep him from the lab.  His brother was just looking out for him, but it wasn’t like Ford couldn’t take care of himself.  He flinched when Stan shoved a sandwich in his hands.

 

“You need to eat,” Stanley said.  He walked into the television room.  Ford reluctantly followed and sat beside his brother.  “Do you want to tell me what that was about?”

 

“Dipper went into the forest again,” Stanford stated grumpily.  He bit and chewed a part of his sandwich in the same manner.  He missed Stanley rolling his eyes at him.  “He ran into Gideon.  Also apparently found out about my journal somehow.”

 

“It’s a good thing we have Strange and that barrier then,” Stan said.  He trusted that Ford made sure Dipper wasn’t injured.  

 

Secretly he did find it amusing how both acted when they felt someone was being overbearing toward them.  Sometimes a person just needs looking out for.  Hell, demons need it, too.  At that thought Stanley leaned over to pick up his cane.  He rubbed his thumb over where the sphere was attached to the stick.  A frown creased his brow.  No matter what he would look after his family.  He knew all too well what happened when he failed.

 

Stanley flinched when his brother suddenly put a hand on his forearm.  He glanced to the slightly older twin.  Ford gave him a concerned look.  The silent question was obvious.  He nodded before casting his gaze back to his dormant partner.  They both wished there was a way to bring him back, to wake the demon up.  Tad had said it was unlikely, but could happen given enough time.  How much time was enough?  Stan hated to show this weakness, but sometimes he just had to break down.  Eight-Ball, his arm, McGucket’s eye and sanity, Stanford’s self-assurance, whatever Tad may have once had; sometimes it was easier wondering what they had not lost to that monster.  Somethings could be pieced back together and others not so well.  At least the nightmare was over now.

 

It was about an hour before Mabel returned home.  She was her usual chipper self.  Dipper was still sulking in his room.  Mabel took him up dinner and apparently stayed to converse.  Hopefully the girl would talk some sense into her brother about going off into the forest alone.  Stan wondered if he should have a talk with Corduroy, but felt it was best to leave the redhead out of it.  She wasn’t his kid, and he was probably a worse influence than anyone else could ever be.

 

Stanford was still sulking as well.  It was a little hard to tell if it was because of his fight with Dipper, or the fact that Stanley wouldn’t let him in the lab.  It was likely a bit of both, but mostly the issue with Dipper.  Perhaps they were smothering the boy.  What if Mabel had done the same?  Well, Tad would probably have given the kid what for.  Chances are when the demon found out what did happen he would want words with the young Gleeful.  Not that Stan and Ford didn’t want to do the same, but they had caused enough problems for themselves dealing with Gideon.  Sometimes Stanley really wished someone would give the kid a taste of his own medicine.  Maybe something to give him nightmares forever, or at least a week.

 

Tad still hadn’t shown up by the time Mabel was off to prepare for bed.  Stanley and Ford guessed that Dipper had already conked out by that point given the day he must have had.  Mabel promised to check on her brother before doing the same.  Both hugged her good night.  Stanley refused to go to bed just yet despite yawning.  The second he did his brother would be down in that lab, tinkering away until the crack of dawn.  Since when was Stan the one to convince others what was right to do?  Since his family had bad eating and sleeping habits apparently.

 

Less than an hour had passed since Mabel let them know Dipper was out cold before the next surprise turned up.  Tad teleported into the living room, directly in front of the television.  Stanley had thought the demon had learned not to interrupt his shows like that.  He and Stanford were old for crying out loud.  What if they got heart attacks?  Strange would feel terrible then.  Stan would have scolded him (was prepared to do so) but held his tongue with one look at the demon’s face.

 

“Tell me we still have unicorn hair,” Tad said.  He looked even paler than usual.

 

While Stanley was still not understanding what was going on, his brother stood up and marched to his lab.  That was enough to get Stan moving.  He tried to recall what they would have unicorn hair for.  When was the last time they used it?  Did Mabel put it in that unholy concoction of hers?  That would probably make it even more horrifying.  Stanley racked his brain until it finally hit him like an avalanche. 

 

“Fuck,” Stan said.  He brought a hand up to rub at his eyes.  “Fucking hell, tell me this is just a drill.  Do we have drills for this?”

 

“I’m afraid not,” Tad said.  Stanley could swear the normally collected demon was shaking ever so slightly.  “The statue is gone.  He is gone.”

 

“How long ago?” Stanford asked.  If they had an estimate they could possibly figure out how far he had gotten by now.

 

“I don’t know,” Tad confessed.  His shaking was contained to make way for the anger he felt toward himself.  “I was taking care of a dispute between the Manotaur and Multi-Bear when I felt the shift.  I didn’t get to check the spot until after.  I attempted to locate him, but that turned up nothing.”

 

“Nothing as in he’s completely gone?” Stanley asked, hopeful.  The blank looks the two gave him said enough to dash said hopes.

 

“He knows my signature too well,” Tad sighed.  His eyes shifted to the side.  The two humans had known him long enough to understand he was struggling to comprehend how this happened.  They were struggling with it as well.  “I know his, too, but he can actually block me.  If he doesn’t want to be found, I likely won’t be able to find him.”

 

“For the time being we’ll focus on warding the place against him,” Ford said.  He cheered when he located the rainbow colored magical hair.

 

Everything else they needed was in the same box, thankfully.  They worked quickly to get it all setup correctly.  If revenge was on the menu they did not have much time.  They could worry about a containment spell after.  Tad teleported outside before the final touches were made.  It was meant to keep out a specific demon, but it would weaken any member of the species.  That was why they had held off using the ward unless absolutely necessary.

 

Ford groaned and rubbed at his eyes.  They would have to talk with the kids in the morning.  What would they even tell them?  Dipper was already upset with him, or had been before falling asleep.  He had lied to him so many times.  Ford couldn’t deny that he deserved all that anger by this point.  How would they explain this without making themselves clear targets again?  Dipper wouldn’t stop until he found out everything this time.  That would include a name.  Even with the wards up, a name would be enough to put a huge target on their backs, and boost that monster’s power.

 

All three of them had worked too hard to erase that name from existence.  They wouldn’t be forgetting it anytime soon, but they also would never utter it.  Not even in their own minds was that name used.  It was too risky whether that monster was trapped or not.  That was Stanford’s whole reason for burying his journal.  No one could learn that name.  No one could remember it.  No one should ever utter it.  He had done his best to scribble it out, but just seeing the entry page was too much for him.  It should never have been found, and yet Gideon Gleeful was toting it around now.  Could Gideon have found a way to free the monster hidden in their forest?  It honestly wouldn’t surprise Stanford if that is exactly what happened.

 

“Stanford,” Stan called for the other’s attention.  He placed a comforting hand on his twin’s shoulder.  “We should get some rest.  We’ll try explaining things to the kids in the morning.”

 

“I don’t think I can, Stanley,” Ford confessed.  He could feel himself shaking.  Everything was coming back too fast.  All the pain and lies.  Every scream and plea from his friends, from himself.  That terrible, demented laughter.  Those haunting yellow eyes.

 

“Ford,” Stanley grabbed onto his twin to steady Ford.  He shook the man slightly, forcing eye contact.  There was a brief moment where they searched each other’s gaze.  No yellow, no slit pupils, no unhinged smile; they were them, not that nightmare.  “I’m here, you’re here.  You can sleep with me tonight, Poindexter.”

 

Ford nodded his agreement.  He gave his twin a grateful smile.  They slung an arm around the other before heading upstairs.  They had done what they could for now.  Tad would keep watch outside.  If there was any sign of trouble he could get back in.  It would just half his power, at least.  If they were lucky that monster had already made his way out of the town.  He was probably still figuring out how long it had been.  The second that was not an issue, they would have to be prepared.  The nightmare would not end until there was blood, and a lot of it.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohohoh, now the fun begins. *rubs hands together like an evil mastermind*  
> Everyone is in for a big shock next chapter.
> 
> hsllgrmt hgzih ziv nlhg yvzfgrufo dsvm gsvb uzoo


	11. At All Costs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panic is taking hold in the Mystery Shack. Stanford and his brother have made a terrible mistake, and it's up to Tad to find the one being that may be able to save Dipper. Mabel invites herself along, which may prove to be fatal. The pair may need the help of another Guardian and Charge to bring down a walking nightmare given flesh once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I am so pumped to get this moving!
> 
> As you may have noticed I have started using ciphers at the end of chapters. They hint at events in the following chapter. If you solve them, it just gives you a heads up on what to expect.
> 
> Alright, here is where we start using Bill as his own warning! Other warnings: blood, life threatening situations, tentacles (not the fun kind, the deadly kind), body horror? bodily horror (I'm not entirely sure how to tag it without totally giving it away) loss of limbs

 

 

Grunkles Stan and Ford were nervous about something.  Mabel could tell, even before they said about needing to talk to her and Dipper.  Said brother of hers was still being a lazy butt upstairs.  All three were honestly getting a bit worried.  Then there was the added question that Tad’s absence brought.  Grunkle Ford had said they would explain everything, but Dipper had to be present first.  Mabel was getting impatient, and worried.  Dipper hardly ever slept in like this unless he was sick.

 

Stanley was the one to finally decide to check on Dipper.  Mabel kept saying he would come down when he was ready.  With each passing minute it was clear she was not as sure of that.  Stanford wasn’t going to do it because he was still thinking about his argument with Dipper the night before.  Sometimes it was a pain being part of a naturally stubborn family.  Granted if they weren’t stubborn many of them might not be here today to talk about stubborn family members.  What mattered now was getting Dipper up and explaining the situation to the best of their abilities.  He knocked a second time with no answer.

 

The door was not locked.  Stan opened it carefully as though he was walking into a crime scene.  Realization seemed to hit him in that moment.  That monster had somehow gotten free yesterday.  Dipper had been venturing through the woods then.  How close were they to him not coming home?  Stanley shook his head to remove such thoughts.  Dipper was here, he was safe.  They would figure this out together.

 

Dipper had the blankets covering him.  Stanley tried to get the youngest Pines’ attention, but he must have been out cold.  When the twenty year old’s face came into view Stan froze.  Mabel might have been onto something about him being sick.  A sheen of sweat covered Dipper’s face, yet he seemed to be shivering.  Stanley tried to coax him into opening his eyes.  Dipper didn’t respond at all.  He felt all clammy.  Stan didn’t know what to do with sick people.  He carefully tried to lift Dipper up.  He would move him to the couch.  They could all watch over him then, figure out what this was.

 

“Stanford,” Stanley called down as he carefully carried Dipper in his arms.  “Get some cooling cloths.  Mabel, you’re on liquids, none of that nightmare fuel of yours either!”

 

“What happened?” Ford asked.  He came up to his brother to check over their great nephew.  The kid looked like he should be burning up, but Dipper actually felt far too cold to the touch.

 

“Wow, he does look sick,” Mabel said before rushing off to get those liquids.  Ford came into the kitchen for his assigned duty not long after.

 

“Do we have a thermometer?” Stanley asked from the living room.

 

“I’ll check the bathroom,” Stanford replied after brining in a wet washcloth.

 

They had what they thought would help.  The issue now was getting Dipper to open his eyes.  He needed to be awake to drink some water.  He might be able to help them figure out what was wrong with him.  Mabel double checked that he was breathing.  It was a bit shallow, but there.  She wiped at his damp fringe.  Dipper let out a weak sound.  He must be in extreme discomfort.  Mabel wanted nothing more than to pull him into a hug.  If only that was enough to cure someone, but she had learned there was a lot more into fighting off a cold.

 

Stanley didn’t know what more they could do.  He carefully checked Dipper’s temperature.  Well, he tried to.  The second the thermometer touched the kid his magic sparked out.  It was weak, but enough to tamper with the device.  Stanford wondered if that had somehow been what caused this.  It was not unusual for curses to have this response.  If the magic was hindered in some way it could manifest as a sickness.  Though how Dipper was cursed was unknown to him.  He had mentioned meeting Gideon out in the woods.  Could he have done this?  If only Stanford could remember all the spells in that journal.

 

“What do we do now?” Mabel asked.  She looked to her grunkles for guidance.

 

“We let him sweat it out,” Stanley said.  “I really don’t know how else to help.  Maybe see what Strange knows.  It might be magical.”

 

“I’ll be right back with Tad,” Mabel said with newfound determination.

 

“Lift his head a bit,” Stanley suggested while he fetched a pillow.

 

Stanford carefully reached around Dipper’s head.  His other hand moved to support the adolescent's neck.  The pillow was placed to give better support.  Ford brought his hands back.  He felt a sudden pull from touching Dipper’s neck.  Both Stans watched in shock and confusion as Ford’s magic got sucked out of him.  It was a small amount, but they both saw the same thing.  Dipper shifted around in discomfort.  Clearly whatever that was meant to do had not worked out.  What was the kid’s magic doing?

 

Ford stepped aside as his brother moved closer to investigate.  He held his tongue when Stanley lifted Dipper up.  The man pulled back the orange t-shirt for a better look at his nephew’s neck.  His eyes widened at what he found there.  Stan ignored his brother’s shock as he lifted Dipper up again.  He hoped he was wrong about what was going on.  Stanford tried to protest moving the brunet around too much.  It was clear from the start his brother wouldn’t listen.  Stanley had to get Dipper outside.

 

The door opened to signify Mabel coming back in.  Tad was behind her, but both stopped when Stanley approached with his nephew.  They backed out as the man continued on his way outside.  Everyone was asking for answers, but Stan remained silent.  He carried Dipper away from the Shack.  The twenty year old was carefully placed onto the ground a few feet from the trees.  Stanley tried to compose himself before addressing the others.  Please, let him be wrong about this.  He gulped when he came up with no other explanation.

 

“Tad,” he called for the demon to come closer.  There was little time between his utterance and Strange kneeling down beside him.  “Look at his neck.”

 

This request gave the demon pause.  He stared at the man in confusion.  Eventually Tad got to it.  Stanley held Dipper up for the demon.  The shirt was once again pulled back for a better view.  Tad clearly saw the same exact thing Stanley had.  The demon was hesitant to touch the skin there, but also felt a need to.  He refrained for fear of what could happen.  It did not change what was there, marring the pale flesh.  Tad would recognize the golden triangle anywhere.  The upper center had a small oval shape with a dark line running down the middle.  He could live for countless more centuries, never seeing it, and it would still be burned into his mind.

 

“We have to take the wards down,” he said clearly.

 

“What?” Stanford shouted in disbelief.  He stormed over to them to better see what was going on.  His blood ran cold at what he saw.  The same thing that had the other two so worried.  He said nothing more and got to work.

 

“I’m going to find him,” Tad declared as he stood up.  “He’s probably still in Gravity Falls, somewhere.”

 

“Can someone tell me what is going on?” Mabel asked.  She came over to check on her brother.  “I really don’t like that you guys aren’t telling me something concerning Dipper.”

 

“I’m going to find his Guardian,” Tad said.  This seemed to make Mabel perk up.  It was news to all of them.  Stanley clenched a fist at the thought of using such a term for that monster.

 

“Can I help?”

 

“No,” both shouted in unison.  This clearly startled Mabel.  It was enough to get Stanford’s attention.

 

“It is too dangerous, my shooting star,” Tad said more calmly.  He didn’t like this, any of it, but they had to help Dipper out.  If that meant working out a truce with his former brother so be it.  Hopefully the other demon could still be reasoned with, somehow.

 

“I want to help,” Mabel pleaded.  She was missing Tad’s point it seemed.  He didn’t want her anywhere near this demon, none of them did.  Granted they didn’t seem to have much choice in the end.  They would meet soon enough.

 

Tad looked to Stanley for help.  He was weak to Mabel’s pleading.  It turned out both of them were.  Much as Tad did not want Mabel there during this reunion with his once brother, she was getting her way.  Tad would do anything to protect her.  First she would have to be aware of the actual situation.  That meant sharing everything, or mostly everything.  Where to start?

 

“Mabel,” he began carefully.  She needed to be prepared for the worst.  “Do you know what happens if a demon rejects their Charge?”

 

“They turn feral,” Mabel responded.  She looked up to her demon.  This was not going to a happy place.  Surely Dipper’s demon wouldn’t reject him, would they?  “They try to kill their human.”

 

“Yes,” Tad said with a nod.  “That is what we have to watch for.  This is a very dangerous demon we’re dealing with.  There’s a bit of family history working against us as well.”

 

“Do you mean this demon doesn’t like Grunkles Stan and Ford?”

 

“Or me for that matter,” Tad said under his breath.  This admittance, or the memories it brought up seemed to physically pain him.

 

“Oh,” Mabel said hesitantly.  She had never thought about the possibility of a demon rejecting their human.  She had wondered what happened when it was the other way around.

 

Tad had not been a worry, and until now they thought Dipper didn’t even have a Guardian.  Is that why they didn’t show up until now?  Tad’s talk of this being a dangerous demon scared her, but also there was some hope further ignited.  If things worked out they would have nothing to worry about.  Best of all Dipper would also have a partner.  With newfound determination Mabel pulled slightly ahead.

 

“Mabel,” Tad called after her before matching her stride.  “What’s gotten into you?”

 

“This is Dipper’s partner we’re talking about,” Mabel said.  She smiled up at Tad.  He was surprised at her sudden confidence.  “Maybe it will take awhile for him to warm up to us, but it will happen.  If you’re not sure then let me do the talking.”

 

“While I like your enthusiasm, Mabel,” Tad hesitated.  He glanced around.  They were getting close to the edge of Gravity Falls’ border.  “It would be best to keep your distance.  Part of what makes him so dangerous is his unpredictability.  I would guess it has only gotten worse since his imprisonment.”

 

“What was he trapped in all this time?”

 

Tad brought a hand up to stop Mabel instead of answering.  He pulled her behind him just to be safe.  He wasn’t sensing anything, but that didn’t mean the other was somewhere else.  Tad was seriously questioning why he brought his Charge.  She was quite persuasive, but this felt downright neglectful on his part.  The purple demon kept hold of Mabel as he moved to change directions.  They just had to follow the line.

 

Silence fell over the pair as they continued on their path.  Mabel was getting progressively more worried for Dipper.  Was there a time limit on how long they had to find his Guardian?  What if it took just as long to convince him to come with them?  Mabel shook her head.  She refused to think like that.  She would just have to use her natural charm to convince him then.  Tad’s mention of an imprisonment still shifted through her mind.  Was this like a side switch then?  A former enemy destined to be their ally perhaps.  Hopefully they would find out soon.  Her feet were getting tired.

 

The ground suddenly left Mabel’s feet.  She shrieked as she was lifted off into the air.  Tad was too slow to stop it.  He cursed himself for not being observant enough.  A glare was directed at something behind Mabel.  Her hands came down to the thing wrapped around her middle.  She blinked at the thin black tentacle.  A sudden stop caused her to look up.  The tendril had dragged her toward a being hanging upside down in the air.  Mabel was confused by the fact that gravity seemed to have no effect on him.  His clothes were immaculate and expensive looking.  Well, except for the torn sleeve revealing a skeleton arm surrounded by cerulean energy.  Was the rest of him like that?

 

A smile split the floating demon’s face in half.  Mabel tried not to show her fear at seeing so many sharp teeth in one mouth.  Either she failed miserably, or this being could already sense it.  It was probably the latter.  Mabel had read somewhere that demons could smell fear, or something.  Maybe she got points for trying though.  The demon’s right eye held a creepily slit pupil, but the other did not exist at all.  There was just a void, a tear in the golden demon’s face.

 

“Let her go, Bill,” Tad shouted up at the other.

 

This seemed to dampen Bill’s mood.  Mabel shrieked when she was waved about in the black tentacle.  She tried to cling to it in hopes of not being dropped.  Bill seemed to have different plans.  Tad glared up at him.  Twin purple eyes met the single golden one.  Bill revealed that twisted smile again.  He lifted his gloved hand to grasp Mabel’s chin.  He studied the brunette in his clutches.  Humans really did look alike to him.  He directed his attention back to Strange, keeping a clawed finger against the human’s cheek.

 

“I take it this belongs to you then,” Bill said down to the other demon.  He reveled in the flinch it got out of his once near and dear brother.  “Oh, this brings back memories, doesn’t it?”  He laughed at the thought they both knew was going through his head.  He directed a threatening grin to Strange.  “Why don’t we find out where this little star’s mark is?”

 

“She has nothing to do with us,” Tad said.  He sounded confident to anyone else, but the golden demon still knew him too well.  Tad was pleading with him.  Well, perhaps Bill wanted it to be clearer to others for once.  “I just want to talk, brother.”

 

“ B̴̵͈̼̞̹̺̟͌́̍̾̓r͊̌ͨ̋̄̓͌̚͏͏̘̹̤͓̳͜o͉͈͆̏t̬̱̼̳͇̭̂̊̉ͧ̃̚ͅh̸͉̲̲̯̻̯̃̂̅̄̋ͫ͘e͕̝̟̰̯̽̿̒ͧ͌͛ͥ̊̌ȑ̺̤̜͓͙̘͕̏͗ͧ͟,” Bill spat back in an absolutely demonic tone.  His golden eye flashed red in his state of anger.  The square dared to use that word to speak to him?  He barely registered the whimper from his captive.  Tad clearly had, however.  Bill composed himself at the desperate look in the other’s eyes.  “Sure, let’s talk.  Let’s talk about all the ways I can make you alone and weak and broken.  Just like you left me, b̹͖̑͆̈́͑ͭṛ̹̘̦̼̬̃̉̍̑̊ͥ́͛ͭ͢o̖̝̙̙̮̖͐ͪ͗ͨͦ͊͋ͣẗ̴̩͎́ͯ̔̐͝h̷ͬ̅́ͫͨ҉͍̻̦̞̮̟̳͉ë̼̟̟͈̖̰̭͉ͨͫ͘r̷̢͕̣͕̂ͣ͑ .”

 

“Please, just leave her alone,” Tad pleaded.  Mabel was getting the hint that her coming here caused more problems than she thought.

 

Bill righted himself and lowered to the ground.  He seemed like he might actually be considering it.  The girl had done nothing to him personally.  She just got the short end of the stick when it came to demons.  Bill still didn’t understand it, didn’t care to really.  It was proving to be a great way to cripple the square, though.  Why stop something that was working in his favor?  He dragged his claw over the human’s cheek, leaving a red line where blood lightly bubbled up.  She cringed, refusing to let it be known how much it truly hurt.  Bill admired her determination.  He would love breaking her spirit and Tad’s with it.  The same way he had broken Crescent by tormenting that traitor.

 

Mabel forced her eyes shut.  As far as first impressions go, Dipper’s demon was not getting a sweater anytime soon.  She balled a hand into a fist.  She was not close enough to Bill for punching him, but she could try.  Mabel opened her eyes to glare at the demon before bringing her fist up.  Purple energy hit him directly in the eye.  The brunette was tossed while Bill was distracted.  Tad caught his charge.

 

“This was a terrible first meeting for me,” Mabel said once Tad set her on her feet.

 

“Not a great reunion for me either, Shooting Star,” Tad confessed.  He desperately wanted to run for it.  Bill would not be happy after that attack.  There was still the matter of helping Dipper, though.

 

“Figures you’d have some wretched brat,” Bill growled.  His hands pulled away from his eye.  He blinked to adjust his vision.  Getting hit in the eye always subdued him for a few minutes.  He was surprised to find Tad had not taken advantage of his distraction.

 

“I just want to talk,” Tad tried again.  He held up his hands in a placating gesture.  Mabel was slightly behind him.

 

“We’re way past that, Taddy,” Bill said.  His tone was far too cheery for the twisted smile on his face.  That look promised only pain and suffering for those unfortunate enough to see it.

 

A tendril struck out and grabbed Tad.  Mabel called out to him as it lifted him toward the other demon.  Bill’s twisted smile widened at the sight of Tad being held up by one of his appendages.  Another one forced the purple demon to raise one of his arms, holding it up by the wrist.  Tad didn’t bother struggling, knowing it was useless.  He did give Bill a defiant glare, however.  The golden demon chuckled at the sight.  The tendril around Strange’s wrist tightened, and began to pull.  Bill’s gloved hand lifted, light glinting off the pointed tips.  Tad cried out as the sharp claws were jabbed into his shoulder.  He could feel them going straight through.  His ears picked up the drops of blood hitting the ground.

 

Bill pulled his hand back with a far too delighted glint in his eye.  Tad gulped at the frenzied expression.  He prayed for Mabel to run.  Violet liquid glistened on Bill’s glove.  It dripped down slowly.  He brought the stained fabric up to his mouth.  A long tongue slipped out to taste the demonic blood.  Tad’s eyes widened at the display.  Fear took hold of his heart when he realized that Bill enjoyed the taste.  He did not want Mabel to see this.  She didn’t need to watch him slowly be devoured.

 

Both demons stilled as a burst of purple energy hit Bill’s side.  It did not have nearly the same effect as the shot to his eye earlier.  Bill turned his head to see the human girl staring him down, or up.  He smiled at her audacity despite himself.  It was a shame she wouldn’t last past this day.  Such were the hazards of a partnership with those he swore to end.  She certainly seemed shocked when he barely flinched otherwise.  That could only mean that Tad had not warned her.  Oh, how foolish of him.  Bill laughed at the thought.  It clearly irked the brunette.

 

“Oh, didn’t he tell you?” Bill inquired, already knowing the answer.  He glanced at Tad with an amused smirk.  “You’re Taddy’s human, so you share his magical signature.  I know it down to my core, which means I know how to defend against it.”  The golden demon chuckled at the thought.  His sclera began to darken as he egged the girl on.  “Hit me again, brat, see what it does!”

 

Mabel did not take kindly to being called a brat.  She sent another burst at Bill, trying to aim for his eye again.  A tentacle intercepted the magic.  It did nothing.  Was such a thing even possible?  Apparently so when dealing with this specific demon.  Mabel watched her energy absorb into the appendage.  Her eyes widened at the realization.  Bill absorbed her magic.  That meant he could absorb Tad’s as well.  He was holding Tad.  If Bill wanted to... since Tad was energy as every demon was…

 

“Your face tells me you’ve just hit an epiphany,” Bill noted smugly.  His smile showed that he knew exactly what she was thinking.  This only made Mabel more fearful.  “No need to share, everyone here knows what I can do.”

 

What did she do now?  What could she do?  While Mabel struggled to find a way to fight Bill a blast of pink energy cut through the tentacles holding Tad captive.  The purple demon fell to the ground, just barely stopping himself from face planting.  Bill turned his head with a glare at whoever dared interrupt this confrontation.  His dark appendages melted back into the fabric of his slacks.

 

The newcomer was familiar to Mabel.  The platinum blonde hair was tied into a tight bun to keep it from the woman’s face.  She wore a lilac blouse under a tan survival vest.  A skirt matching the top reached just above her knees.  The rest of her legs were covered by black leggings until they reached a pair of combat boots.  Her white glove covered hands held the hilt of a burning sword.  The hilt was magenta.  A pale pink flame encased the brighter blade.  Pacifica glared at the golden demon.  Her cheek was not bandaged this time, revealing a bright pink flame

 

“Pyronica, is that you?” Bill questioned with a wide fake grin.  He squinted as though that would tell him what he already knew.  “Tadpole roped you in, too, huh?”

 

“I don’t know how you got out,” a shrill voice came from the sword.  “But you’re not hurting anyone on my watch.”

 

“Seriously, Pyronica,” Bill said in an exasperated tone.  He floated with his limbs lazily dangling beneath him.  Even the six tentacles sprouted from his lower back to drape toward the ground.  “I just got out!  Once I’ve dealt with the square I’ll be on my way.”

 

“We both know you’re a liar, Bill Cipher” Pyronica countered.  Bill shrugged in response.  It wasn’t like he hadn’t lied a few times in his infinite existence.  If that’s what twisting others and even his own words around was called now.

 

“Enough,” Pacifica finally spoke.  She straightened her posture.  One hand left Pyronica to point an accusing finger at Bill.  “By Northwest decree all demons shall be banished from this world!”

 

“Northwest?” Bill parroted with a tilt of his head.  He burst out laughing a second later.  “Oh, that is rich!  The Northwests, still pretending to be hunters after all these years!”  The floating demon clutched at his sides.  He flipped over and kicked his legs at the hilarity he found in this situation.  Pacifica did not look amused.  Mabel was convinced Bill Cipher had a few screws loose, if not many.  When he finally calmed down Bill wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.  He gave the human a condescending smile.

 

“The Northwest name is not something to be laughed at,” Pacifica growled.

 

“Oh, but it is,” Bill said with his usual creepy cheerfulness.  He hovered closer to the Northwest heiress.  Pacifica instinctively took a step back from the unnerving smile.  “The Northwests have such a vast knowledge collection at their disposal.  They are probably still one of the richest families in this realm.  Do you know where they got it all?  Demonic deals, my dear!”

 

“You’re wrong,” Pacifica shouted before slashing at him.  Bill flipped backwards through the air to dodge the blade and subsequent energy blast.  “Demons destroyed that knowledge for fear of being eradicated!”

 

“You poor, misguided tart,” Bill mocked.  His golden brow lifted condescendingly.  He gave her a smug smile.  “I destroyed half their establishment because dear Preston couldn’t hold up his end of our bargain.”

 

“You know my father?” Pacifica questioned.  She dropped her guard in that moment.

 

A tendril lashed out at her.  Pink fire burst up from the ground to block it.  The second they touched the flames evaporated.  The appendage had absorbed it.  Before Bill could take advantage orange magic hit him in the back.  He doubled over.  A glare was sent to his attacker.  He should have known Strange would take advantage the second there was an opportunity.  He couldn’t focus on counteracting two energy signatures at once, sadly.

 

Bill pondered the platinum blonde’s question.  What was a father again?  These humans and their odd titles for one another.  How did it go again?  Father, great-father, grand-great-father; that sounded right to him.  If Preston was a father, then not that much time had passed.  Or had it?  The girl’s words implied the man was still alive.  She would be the generation after him, so who else could be alive if Preston was kicking?  Realization dawned on Bill a second later.  His eye narrowed with a growing smirk.  He turned his attention back to Tad with that expression.

 

“How are Sixer and Crescent holding up these days?” Bill asked.  The look Strange gave him was enough.  The Pines were alive still.  Probably old as dirt as far as humans go, but they had always been a stubborn pair.  Apparently that had not taken a hit with what happened to that traitor.  “I bet Stanley would love to see his dear Eight-Ball again!”

 

“You leave my Grunkles alone,” Mabel said before sending a blast of her purple magic.

 

The golden demon dodged rather than try focusing on absorbing the energy.  He blinked down at the brunette.  What the fuck was a grunkle?  Had he come across that title before?  It didn’t sound familiar.  Bill knew enough that these titles were typically used in family units.  That would mean Tad’s partner had a blood tie with the Stan twins.  She was a Pines.  Bill gave her a cruel smile that made Mabel flinch.  A blast of pink flames forced him to float backwards.

 

“You’re fight is with us, demon,” Pacifica called to remind them of her presence.  She didn’t care what lies this demon had to tell.  She would send him back to the Hell he crawled out of one way or another.

 

“You’re just a nuisance,” Bill decided with a bored tone.  His hands came together with a cerulean glow between them.  The energy cast a shadow over his face.  The magic was shot at the pair.  The air crackled around it.

 

Pyronica ordered her partner to dodge.  Pacifica side rolled out of the way.  The ground she had been standing on was not so lucky.  There was a small crater left in its wake.  Pacifica stared at it in slight shock.  They would not have been able to hold that back like she had originally planned to do.  Sending it back would have just been foolish to attempt.  The Northwest turned her attention back to their opponent.  Mabel and Tad were trying to make Bill land by sending blasts to knock him into the trees.  Pacifica didn’t like their involvement.  Her parents were right about Pines ruining everything.

 

With gritted teeth the pink pair moved into the fray.  If Pacifica had to fight alongside the other two she would.  This demon did seem quite powerful.  She barely dodged a striking appendage.  Pyronica instructed against slashing it.  Touching the black tendril was apparently a bad idea.  They had to focus on Bill’s main body, or try for blasting his eye.  Not that large of a target, but possibly doable at close enough range.

 

A black appendage struck out to hit Mabel.  The brunette froze when it stopped just short of impaling her face.  The tendril melted.  It slowly liquefied and dripped down to stain the grass.  Tad paused in his close range attack, as did Pacifica.  The purple demon had never witnessed something like that happening in his countless years.  Bill stared at his lost appendage.  His golden eye widened in silent horror.  His form was falling apart.  What had they done to him?  He glanced to his gloved hand to find it beginning to liquefy as well.  Bill concentrated to hold himself together through sheer force of will.  He realized that Tad was within arm’s length and latched onto the other demon with his right hand.

 

“Tad,” Mabel cried at the sight of her partner struggling in Bill’s grip.

 

There was a purple light beginning to surround Strange.  The energy slowly flowed into the skeletal claw grasping him.  He clawed at the arm surrounded in a blue glow to no avail.  Bill was determined to take the magic out of him.  He wouldn’t succumb to whatever was trying to take his form from him.  It had been far too long since he was free.  It had been far too long since he was whole.  The connection was cut when Pyronica sliced through his limb.  Bill roared in agony as much as rage.

 

Mabel rushed over to her partner as he hit the ground.  Tad’s form flickered before shifting.  In place of the humanoid demon rested a simple violet square.  Mabel carefully picked her demon up.  She cradled him in her arms.  A small bowler hat floated just above the top side, and a tie was placed under a single eye.  The eye slowly opened to focus on Mabel.  Small black hands lifted to press at the area around the square’s eye.  Mabel’s mark began glowing under her sleeve.

 

“Tad?” She questioned the demon with a worried expression.

 

“I’ll be okay, Shooting Star,” the square demon spoke without a visible mouth.  He attempted to sit up in her arms.  One black hand touched the area just below Mabel’s glowing symbol.  Tad sighed at the sensation of power flowing back into him.  They really did not have time for him to be resting like this.

 

Pacifica stared Cipher down with Pyronica firmly grasped in her hands.  Bill glared at the brat that dared sever his limb.  He stared down at it.  It should have started reforming by now, but it was still missing the mid-forearm and below.  He concentrated on making it whole.  He was supporting himself on his legs and other hand.  The second his fingers started to take shape again he lost balance on his left hand.  The limb was losing form again.  Something clenched in his core.  He had just gotten his body back.  He wouldn’t lose it again, not now.  His tentacles left dark puddles around him as they succumb to the liquefaction.

 

“What have you done?” Bill shouted at the four in a mix of desperation and rage.  He tried to hold onto that rage the hardest.  It was clear in his golden eye that the fear was taking root much faster.  He closed his eye; body shaking as he mentally forced his form to stay together.  The fire around his right arm intensified.

 

A blast of pink magic struck the golden demon.  Bill was flipped backwards.  He struck the ground hard and bounced off.  A tree halted his backwards momentum.  Cipher struggled to get back up.  His left limb was useless in this endeavor.  Everything below the elbow was long gone.  Pacifica and her partner prepared for the strike that would hopefully end this.

 

“Pacifica, wait,” Mabel called.  She ran up to the other woman with Tad still clutched in her arms.  Her chocolate eyes fell on Bill.  He glared at the pity directed his way.  He couldn’t even concentrate his magic for a desperate attack.  Mabel turned back to the platinum blonde.  “We need him alive.  Bill belongs with my brother.”

 

“You’re telling me this lunatic is a Guardian?” Pacifica asked for clarification.  She had no interest in listening to Mabel, but Pyronica likely would.  If Bill had a human to protect then maybe there was hope for his redemption.  He would probably just try to end the unfortunate boy.  “Sorry, Pines, but I’m doing your brother a favor.”

 

“No,” Mabel protested.  She moved to stand in front of Pacifica, blocking the way to Cipher.  Her arms spread out.  Tad was left to hover where Mabel had stood prior.  “He’s beaten.  I need to take him to Dipper.”

 

Pacifica reluctantly lowered her partner.  She scoffed at the brunette’s naivety.  If the girl wanted to learn the hard way she wouldn’t stop her.  Let the deranged demon end the entire Pines line for all a Northwest should care.  The blade glowed a bright pink as Pacifica let her demon leave her grasp.  A feminine form took the sword’s place.  

 

The female demon was slightly taller than her human.  Magenta hair was parted to one side, covering the left half of her face.  A pale pink dress covered her form with a slip up to her thigh on the right side.  A magenta cape flowed down from her shoulders.  Her skin was pink where it was visible.  Gloves covered up to her elbows that matched the dress.  Her visible pink irised eye held a slit pupil like any other demon.  Her ears were pointed, and on the right side of her head a long horn stuck out.  A pair of high heeled boots reached up to her knees.  Mabel was impressed by the thought the demon could fight in them, let alone walk around.  Pyronica turned her attention to Tad.

 

“It has been a while, Square-boy,” She teased with a smile.  Pyronica glanced to Mabel with a wink, or maybe she was just blinking.  “I see you found yourself a cute one.”

 

Tad darkened in color slightly.  Pyronica laughed at his reaction.  It was good to see he was easier to rile up after all this time.  She thought it was about time he lightened up.  Strange had been such a serious being since Bill’s initial punishment.  Having a human must really be helping him.  Cipher’s return might not be so good.  There was always the possibility of them working things out this way, though.  Pyronica glanced to the golden demon at that thought.  She doubted he would allow them this meeting without letting his fury known.

 

It turned out Bill had fallen unconscious.  His skeletal arm was outstretched while the remainder of his left just stuck out in the grass.  He must be using his reserves to stay together.  Why was he falling apart in the first place?  Pyronica frowned at the thought.  The closest thing she could think of was the time after first attaining her weapon form.  Pacifica’s closed off nature had made it hard to keep the link then, and Pyronica had been forced back into her most basic form for a week.  That would imply that Bill was already growing close with his partner, but that was impossible if they hadn’t met yet.  If they had the kid would likely already be dead.

 

“How long have you known he has a Charge?” Pyronica eventually asked.

 

“We just found out a short bit ago,” Tad confessed.  He sighed and tried to concentrate on returning to his human form.  Mabel’s donation should have been enough to boost him.  The purple demon sighed when his feet touched the ground.  He blinked his violet eyes.  “He got out some time yesterday.  We set up a ward…”

 

“With the kid inside?” Pyronica questioned in shock.  That certainly would have had adverse effects on the human sharing a magical signature with Bill.

 

“We discovered our error this morning,” Tad said.  He glanced at the ground.  “Dipper had shown no signs of even having a Guardian before.  I wonder if the barriers guarding the statue had anything to do with that.”

 

“It is possible,” Pyronica agreed with a calm nod.  “You should get him to his kid.  Just be careful, I think they’ve met before somehow.”

 

“What?” Tad flinched at this suggestion.  What did Pyronica know that he did not?

 

“They have a link,” Pyronica said.  She glanced back to their former brother and mentor.  “That’s the only thing I can think of to explain what happened during that confrontation.  The further he is from this, Dipper, was it? The weaker Bill will get.”

 

“How could they form a link?” Pacifica asked, finally deciding to get answers.  If Pyronica wasn’t planning to go anytime soon she might as well.  “That takes a long time.  Some never do, and I don’t see anyone even bonding with that.”

 

“What’s the difference?” Mabel asked.  As far as she knew the words were interchangeable.  The education system really needed to get their facts together when it concerned demons and partnerships with them.

 

“A link happens after a demon and human bond,” Tad said.  He walked over to hoist up the unconscious Bill.  They did need to return to the Mystery Shack.  Everything would work out, hopefully.  “They can share thoughts, anticipate one another, feel their emotions and physical wellbeing.  It is also what allows a demon to take their weapon shape.”

 

“So Pacifica has a link with Pyronica,” Mabel realized.  She gave them both an overjoyed smile.

 

“Sort of,” Pacifica semi-relented.  “There are stronger links, supposedly.”

 

“The stronger the link the more weapon forms a demon can have,” Pyronica chimed in.  She was happy with her sword form, but more options wouldn’t be a bad thing of course.  If they got there, they got there.  If not it wasn’t like she would stop helping her Charge.  “A bond is the acknowledgement of shared magic; a link is more like having a shared mind.”

 

Tad struggled a bit to get the golden demon off the ground.  He questioned why Cipher had to have such a tall humanoid appearance.  Anything over seven feet was just excessive, and the golden demon decided on eight.  Unfortunately it looked like they would be walking back to the Mystery Shack as well.  Tad did not trust his weakened magic to teleport that distance with two others.  Bill could lose more of himself, and Strange was not about to risk Mabel’s safety.

 

“Thank you for your help, Pyronica,” Tad said with a nod.  “Miss Northwest.”

 

“Pacifica is fine,” the girl nodded politely.  She gave Mabel a bored look.  “Just don’t expect it to happen again.”

 

Mabel puffed out her cheeks in irritation as the other pair turned and left.  Pyronica had no problem teleporting herself and her partner.  Tad began heading toward home.  The brunette followed, still offended by the Northwest girl.  She grumbled a good ways about Pacifica.  It was clear Tad was struggling not to laugh.  He didn’t want to jostle Cipher too much and risk waking the maniac.  Mabel kept quiet after a bit, but continued stewing.  Dipper would understand her plight.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like my humanoid Bill tall, and mostly leg/limbs. Think slenderman, but with a face and flashier clothes! xD  
> The Stan twins are not liking this, but they have to think of Dipper. More to come next weekend.
> 
> Z uozg dliow drgs uozg wivznh


	12. Old as the Universe and Just as Twisted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There wasn't much difference between this world and the one he came from. It seemed Bill was trapped either way, in one form or another. He did not want to be plagued with the memories of his past, his failures. There had to be something new. He had to push on until his stars aligned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another weekend, another update!
> 
> This chapter is mostly flashback into Bill's side of his past. Italics show thoughts.  
> Not much warnings: mentions of war/rebellion, violence

 

 

Pain radiated throughout his being.  It originated from his eye.  Those wretched highborn had damaged him.  They had attempted to eradicate him.  Instead they had robbed him of his gift.  Perhaps that had been their true intention.  What threat was he without his ability to glimpse the future?  No doubt they would have preferred him dead, but thankfully Tad had intervened in time.

 

The square had saved him, for all the use he was now.  They would be on the run for the rest of their existence.  He should be thankful to Tad, but had only insulted him for his foolishness.  The four sided being was giving him space.  Everything was ruined now.  They had failed.  He had failed.  Perhaps the others had managed to escape in the confusion left by Tad’s quick actions.  Bill really should have known this all would happen.  He dared to look toward the edge of their hiding place.

 

Tad floated there with most of his thin black limbs dangling, one hand resting against the cave entrance.  He would act as lookout until his triangular companion had recovered enough.  Bill had been a constant in his existence.  The golden triangle had saved him, protected him, and taught him much of what he knew in their uncaring world.

 

_ Dammit, stop remembering _

 

The Nightmare Realm was an unforgiving place.  Those not highborn were little more than fodder, if they lived that long.  The most powerful of their species survived and grew by sapping power from those below them.  It put much of the unfortunate lower castes in a state of struggling to just keep their most basic of forms.  Bill Cipher had witnessed countless others simply cease to be because their superiors became greedy.  There was no way to stop it, however.  It was an endless cycle that would continue even after he, too, had succumbed to the growing energy shortage.  At least that’s what everyone else had come to understand.

 

In those days he had no name, as many in his situation did not.  All he had was his gift.  Future Sight allowed him to evade the highborn, to an extent.  His existence was known, and because of that he could never truly escape their loyalists.  He had entertained the thought of faking his own demise a few times.  He knew it would never work.  The highborn used him for his Sight, and if he perished that gift should move on to another.  The lack of a new Seer would be all the proof needed for anyone to realize that he was in hiding.

 

Sadly only a newly developed spark had any hope of going undetected anyway.  They were rare, especially during their current energy crisis.  That did not mean it was impossible for one to form, however.  His second sight had shown him when and where the next would develop.  He just had to be sure he was there to hide the helpless entity from those seeking its containment.

 

It had been child’s play in the end really.  Bill had not gotten by for countless eons on his looks alone, after all.  The hard part was training the little purple square.  Luckily Tad was eager to learn from his triangular companion and the few Bill kept close.  The process was grueling, testing Bill’s patience far too often.  Tad had great potential.  He caught on to most spells, but when it came to sparring the square was quite reluctant.  Bill couldn’t hold it against him.  They compromised by focusing on defensive maneuvers.  Tad took to healing magic the same way Bill had once favored illusions.

 

Pyronica and her gremlin looking companion took care of Tad while Bill was forced to deal with the highborn.  They sought him for his gift, and it would be reckless to deny them.  That did not mean that the triangle went out of his way to be pleasant and accommodating.  The highborn came and asked for the guidance of his Sight.  Bill gave them minimal detail while still managing to satisfy their request.  They had no idea how accurate his gift truly was, or how detailed the visions were.

 

In truth Bill had learned relying on his Future Sight was too unreliable.  It did show him glimpses of possibilities, but there were too many variables that could alter the course.  Sometimes an event occurred, and sometimes another took its place.  Others did not need to know this information, however.

 

After each encounter with the highborn Tad would return with his other two protectors.  The square was always curious about the greater members of their race.  Bill never sugar coated what would be in store for his apprentice should their secret be found out.  Tad was ever watchful for signs of highborn visitors.  It was not needed, but it put Bill at ease to know the square would be cautious.  They all grew closer through the centuries until Bill began to work his plan.  It was too bad of all the visions his gift had granted him it did not warn of losing it forever.

 

It took some time for Bill to get his bearings.  He cursed his lost gift.  It had forsaken him in the end.  He had been steered wrong somehow, as he had occasionally done to the highborn for kicks.  Some might believe it was karma coming back to bite him, but Bill had no care for such things.  If it had been more reliable his Future Sight could still guide him through this uncertainty.  Tad realized after a while that he would have to be the one to push them forward.  He would not let Bill continue to fall.

 

They went on the run.  Bill focused on his expertise with illusion magic to keep them hidden.  Time passed as it always did in the Nightmare Realm.  They had since stopped keeping track when they finally reunited with Pyronica and Eight-Ball.  Others had survived their failure, but Bill was most relieved to see his oldest friends again.  He shared his last vision with Tad after that.  It was hard to put into words.  There were lights in a void, countless and far away.  The Future Sight had focused on a specific grouping in an unfamiliar pattern.  It was hard to say how far off this vision had been.  Perhaps it was something that could help them now, or something they would find long after.

 

Whispers reached them, like all of the Nightmare Realm.  There were rumors of another world that the highborn were trying to claim.  Beings not made of pure energy resided there.  Bill and Tad set out to find one of the portals to escape.  The others did the same, but in limited groups.  How long it would be before they crossed paths once more was unknown.

 

It was a struggle getting past the loyalists guarding the portal they found.  They quickly found that the other side was guarded as well, by organic beings capable of limited magic if any at all.  The loyalists that pursued them were distracted enough by the creatures of this new world for the two shapes to escape.  They continued to lay low, gathering information on this new plane of existence as much as they could.  Bill found his illusions could help him blend in with these flesh based beings.  Their drive against their invaders was fascinating to him.  He studied them for a way to gain their cooperation.

 

Tad struggled to take on a human appearance of his own.  It was like their initial days of training in a sense.  Bill tried to keep his nostalgic thoughts from their plans.  He could not afford a distraction when revenge was looking more and more possible.  These thoughts slipped away at night for a time.  While Tad rested from practicing Bill gazed up at the sky.  There were millions of little lights up there, possibly more.  His eye landed on something familiar eventually, yet he knew he could never have come across the light pattern before.  His next trip to a human dwelling yielded what he sought after that night.  He committed the light pattern to memory, the Ursa Major.

 

The newly discovered constellation was pushed to the back of his mind for the time being.  Bill and Tad had to focus on the mission at hand.  Gaining humanity’s trust would be difficult, but if they provided the right incentive everything would work out in the end.  That was not the only obstacle, of course.  Bill had no idea what magical potential these creatures truly possessed.  Introducing themselves as their newly taken names seemed to cause enough distrust in the gathered meat sacks.

 

Bill focused on their common ground.  The highborn were a shared enemy for his allies and this flesh based species.  He was confident a deal could be struck here.  It was Tad who came up with the exact terms.  Demons, as these creatures called them, coexisting in their world while keeping their distance.  All that was needed was the defeat of those planning to crush both forces.  The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.  Many humans were reluctant to take part in anything to do with magic.  It was easy to see the potential in those willing to learn, however.  Something familiar warmed Bill’s core as he and his brother taught humanity their newly formed weapon.

 

They struggled against the highborn.  Each clash yielded more casualties, but victories came to them as well.  The determination that burned in each human drove them on.  Bill’s thirst for vengeance took greater hold with each encounter.  He took to humanity’s penchant for celebration well after every victory.  These were his people now, Bill decided.  Tad took to humans easily, and they to him.  His form was less frightening than Bill’s was to them.

 

It was after one such victory that Tad decided to discuss the afterwards with his brother.  Bill had every intention of sticking to the initial plan.  Once the highborn were defeated and driven back humans would be left to handle themselves while Bill and his fellows made a secluded place for themselves.  Admittedly he would like to continue interacting with humanity, but a deal was a deal in his mind.  Tad suggested bringing it up to the humans.  Bill left that to his brother, there was still a war to be won.

 

_ I don’t want to remember any of this _

 

Victory came with a heavy price, but they had managed it with humanity’s help.  It seemed Tad had brought up the possibility of an amended deal to the flesh based beings.  Humans were focused on rebuilding.  A few demons offered their assistance.  Bill left them to figure it out.  He didn’t feel as victorious as he should.  The highborn had been forced back, the Nightmare Realm entrances were to be guarded, but he just wasn’t satisfied.  He did not participate in the last and greatest of humanities celebrated victories, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

 

Tad found his brother under the stars.  The Ursa Major shone in that golden eye.  Bill still did not know what it meant to him.  At that moment he wasn’t sure he cared.  It was merely a distraction from what he should be doing, what he should have done.  Tad’s offered comfort was shaken off, much to the square’s surprise and confusion.  Bill voiced his thoughts, mistakenly so.

 

It was clear the other did not understand Bill’s thoughts.  The golden demon wanted all of the highborn wiped out.  It was what they deserved, and anything less was no victory to him.  It was too late now, though, unless he wanted to break the peace with humanity for petty revenge.  That is what Tad had called it, and Bill didn’t take kindly to that.  His left hand latched onto the neck of Tad Strange.  Anger clouded him while the purple demon struggled in his grasp.  Tad tried to reason with his brother.  Bill had never attacked him before, even in the days when he refused to spar with the triangle.

 

The struggles grew weaker.  Tad couldn’t understand what was wrong.  Bill felt power surge into him from the other.  Tad’s form flickered a few times.  Bill’s golden eye widened at the familiar sight of the bowler hat and tie sporting little square.  He instantly released the other.  Tad floated there for a moment before drifting closer to the ground.  He was too weak to remain aloft.  Bill was scared to touch his brother for fear of making his energy levels worse.

 

Realization came to the golden demon as he watched his brother struggle to keep his eye open.  He called to the other.  Tad drifted in and out as his eye fluttered.  Bill could only watch and be thankful the other was holding form.  He had just drained the energy out of his brother.  He hadn’t meant to.  He hadn’t even known he was capable of it.  Bill’s clawed hands went into his hair as he struggled for what to do.  What had he done?

 

Tad needed time and rest, but eventually his energy was restored.  Bill avoided his brother as though one of them had some terrible disease.  The golden demon secluded himself from much of his group.  Tad had not shared what had transpired with the others for one reason or another.  Perhaps he was afraid Bill would get upset with him again.  The once triangle continued to berate himself for such loss of control.  How could he do that to his brother?

 

Bill had just drained Tad’s power.  His brother had been forced back into his basic form.  If he had continued…  Bill didn’t want to think about that possibility.  He had seen enough of his kind ended in such a way.  He was disgusted with himself.  How could he steal another’s energy like some filthy highborn?  Part of him was glad when most of the others stopped trying to talk to him about it.  They didn’t know what was going on with Bill.  Truthfully he didn’t even know what had happened to make him do that.  Pyronica and Eight-Ball eventually, reluctantly, gave him his space.  Tad was the only one that refused to leave his presence.

 

_ I should have finished the job _

 

The infighting started up after that.  It was only natural with so many beings trying to find their place in an unfamiliar world.  He blamed it on allowing those outside of his inner circle to join them.  Many had been against the highborn for various reasons, but their kind were not exactly social creatures.  Bill saw no reason to intervene if the outsiders wanted to destroy one another.  Tad was not so keen on letting the infighting persist.

 

Pyronica, Eight-Ball, and others backed their brother up.  Tad tried to address their kin on how to stop this issue.  They only sought more blood.  It was clear they were a species that needed some form of leadership.  The small band turned to Bill for guidance in this.  The golden demon had no idea when they decided he was the one calling the shots here.  He wanted no part of it.  At the same time he was unable to deny the others.  What he had done to Tad was still fresh in his mind.  The square still trusted him, though.  They were all awaiting his decision.  Bill reluctantly found himself trying to take charge of the situation.

 

It did not go as planned at all.  While it was clear that someone needed to take charge, it wasn’t like any of them would listen to another.  One needed to prove themselves in the eyes of all demon kind before that happened.  Bill may have instigated their rebellion against the highborn, but those outside his circle got it in their heads that they could be just as powerful if not more so.

 

Bill should have backed down then.  His initial plan was to let the others sort themselves out.  He would take his circle and find their own secluded place to thrive.  Somewhere along the line, however, he started liking the idea of having others under him.  Bill watched his kin fight amongst themselves.  Occasionally he would intervene himself, but most of the time he left it to Tad or the others to break it up.  The more he witnessed of these brawls the more he wanted to join in the fray.  The scent of blood seemed to linger that much longer each time for him.  What was happening to him?  It made his skin crawl, though if it was from dread or anticipation he was uncertain.

 

What had caused the shift?  He certainly couldn’t recall.  It was a slow descent from not caring, to needing a piece of all the carnage.  The others wouldn’t listen until he proved himself, so he did.  The next thing Bill knew he was wrist deep in the chest of another demon.  Silence blanketed the area, and all sensation was gone aside from a buzzing in his blood.  The other reverted to their shape state.  Bill couldn’t remember what it had been.

 

They fell in line, but this new thirst did not cease.  What had made him think he was fit to lead this rogue force?  Why did they even need a leader in the first place?  In his times of seclusion (few and far between that they were) Bill pondered these questions.  It was an unending back and forth between wanting nothing to do with any of it, and wanting more.  He could force it away around others at least.  Those of his inner circle could see the cracks, however.  There wasn’t much reprieve for a breakdown on his part.  Somewhere along the line Bill had gained a shadow in the form of a grey diamond.

 

Kryptos had been an annoying little tag along.  Why was he even there?  He seemed like a suck up, always gushing about Bill’s abilities and intelligence.  He gave the golden demon a headache more often than not, but there was something endearing about his ‘hero worship.’  Kryptos hadn’t liked the others much, though.  It was as if the little diamond was jealous of how well the others got along with his idol.  Perhaps he had been.  That had changed when Bill finally snapped at the kid’s constant jabbering.

 

Pyronica was the one to quiet the waterworks.  Tad and Eight-Ball took the kid away, finally.  It had not lasted, sadly.  Kryptos returned, and had apparently gained a certain understanding with the others.  The kid was trying to fix himself into Bill’s little circle for one reason or another.  It made the triangle hate him even more.  Kryptos shrunk back from every glare he caught coming his way, but the kid refused to go away.  There was a respectable distance that wasn’t there before.  It seemed in the short reprieve that the diamond had learned how to be silent as well.  Bill tolerated him, but only because his friends seemed to like the diamond for one reason or another.  Why was he always stuck with the nuisance then?

 

Did he really hate the diamond?  Kryptos could be so annoying, but it was because he wanted to share so much with Bill.  How had he gotten the kid to like him so much?  It was a better question than all the others floating around then.  The diamond was little more than a distraction in the end.  All because Bill had inadvertently protected him that one time.

 

_ Not like it matters now _

 

It all fell apart soon enough.  Uprisings, betrayals, the separation of his mind and physical being; it all happened so fast.  Where had Bill gone wrong?  Had he ever been right?  It truly didn’t matter now.  He had tried to make the most of it.  The vast knowledge he had gained as a bodiless entity could still be useful.  He had been so close to getting his body back.  Once again Tad Strange proved to be a thorn in his side.  Why had the square betrayed him?  Those damned Stans and their bumbling assistant had tipped the scales against him.  That seemed to be a running theme with ol’ Taddy.  If the square couldn’t stop Bill alone he would seek out human help and ruin everything for the triangle.

 

Bill had gotten his body back after so many centuries, only to be trapped within it.  Much of his time as a statue had been spent in slumber.  Granted it was a forced slumber, and he was still conscious the whole time, just not of his surroundings.  His awakening had been so sudden he could still feel a sense of whiplash, or maybe that was from whatever had knocked him out recently.  His mind was so jumbled after so much dormancy.

 

What did he remember?  His first instinct upon waking had been to take in his surroundings.  He was still stuck in the void of his own mind, but could stretch his energy to pick up that of others.  Having the wretched square as his first encounter in who knew how long was just adding salt to an open wound.  Apparently Bill wasn’t allowed any peace.  Tad had followed his energy.  Bill could sense the purple demon just beyond his prison, but had no idea why the square remained.  Taddy was probably trying to have a conversation with him.  The idiot.  Even if Bill had been able to hear him, it wasn’t like he could respond!  Not that he would have wanted to, anyway.

 

There was nothing but darkness surrounding him.  Bill had no problem with it, aside from how boring it was.  On second thought he had a million problems with it, and he blamed the square and those Pines for every last one.  It was probably because of his stewing that he lashed out at the first sign of outside contact a short while later.  It manifested as a blue tree surrounding the kid.  It was only after scaring the mortal off that Bill realized his mistake.

 

That had been his first contact with another being.  The square didn’t count.  Rage consumed him, at himself this time.  How could he have been so stupid?  Why didn’t he stop and think about what he was doing?  Now he would be all alone, again!  If he hoped to get out of this predicament he would need another.  Bill wasn’t really focusing on his escape in that moment, however.  He just wanted someone else around.  He needed someone else around to keep from being bombarded with all his awful memories.

 

The next encounter with Pine Tree went about as well.  Bill tried to make contact, but the kid was too startled and woke up.  The scream echoed in the mindscape for some time after.  Bill found himself wondering how the human had connected to his thoughts.  He was becoming consumed with a need to have the human around.  This was the only company he had been allowed in so long.

 

Bill wanted real contact with the human.  He stretched his influence as far as he dared.  This became a regular ritual for the triangle.  Eventually it worked.  Pine Tree had apparently ventured into the forest.  Perhaps Bill’s calling had reached him after all.  All that mattered was that he could finally talk with his only companion.  Then they had to be interrupted by some pompous child.  Bill allowed his rage to flow, and his power with it.  Somehow it flowed out of Pine Tree.

 

The passing of time was mostly lost to Bill.  He had to rest after stretching himself like that.  His prison always held him back.  It may not be able to completely contain him anymore, but it took too much out of him to fight.  He wasn’t even sure if Pine Tree was okay in the end.  It both worried and infuriated him.  If he ever caught the idiot responsible he would throttle them.  Why did he care so much about his human?  Bill denied the one answer that came to him.  There was no way that was it, despite the way his magic had reacted to the human.

 

Bill pushed these thoughts and memories back.  He had to figure out where he was now.  His dark appendages sprouted from his lower back to investigate his surroundings.  They could be discreet.  He did not want to risk letting potential enemies know he was awake just yet.  His back was resting against something.  He was on a wood floor.  He could feel the splinters trying to become one with his flesh.  He carefully moved a tendril under a soft fabric, perhaps a blanket.  Bill couldn’t keep his eye closed when a spike of sensation assaulted his neck.  It wasn’t necessarily unpleasant, but it had certainly been unexpected.  His tendril made contact with cool flesh in the same instant.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get so excited reading new comments, and re-reading comments at times. It's good to know so many of you are enjoying this little AU contribution. I admit there are those of you that helped get me into this fandom, and to see you commenting on my work... Well, sometimes I can't help but let out a squeal of delight. I also have to say, WINX, some of what you're saying makes me wonder how close our wavelengths are. I do hope I am continuing to do these characters justice. There will be more details given about exactly how these bonds and links work, or at least how those involved have interpreted them. We're going to be picking up pace a bit in the next few chapters.
> 
> I'm also just going to shamelessly plug my tumblr, gommodjc. Don't really do much with it, but I'd be more than happy to answer asks or have discussions. I do have anonymous enabled if that is more comfortable for people. 
> 
> And, of course, have a code within a code ;D
> 
> Gsvhv klrmgh ziv z yrg luu gzitvg


	13. Meet Your Guardian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper wakes up disoriented in his room, but he is not alone. Bill has some idea as to what's going on. He did not expect the one twist that comes to light, however. The brunet is just as shock when he learns of his connection with one Bill Cipher. It seems that Stanford and Stanley are still hiding things, along with Tad. Will Dipper ever gain the answers he seeks?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this a bit early, since I'm going out of town this weekend and not sure how I'll feel when finally getting back. 
> 
> Oooh boy, things will get moving now. It's just going to be a bumpy road for poor Dip.  
> So, warnings: violence, tentacles (I'm sorry Tad, I love you!) angsty Dipper at the end, BILL

 

 

Dipper slowly drifted back to consciousness.  He felt rather sluggish, and just about everything ached.  His mind was a bit fuzzy as well.  It resulted in his most recent memories coming back slowly.  Some of it could have been a dream for all he knew in that moment.  The distant voices of his grunkles were the first thing he recalled.  They had sounded worried for one reason or another.  He couldn’t answer them for some reason.  Everything had felt like needles being shoved into his body.  His magic had latched onto something only to recoil when it wasn’t what it was after.  Dipper had no idea how he had interpreted it that way.

 

The earlier memories were harder to pull up.  He had gone back into the forest.  Great Uncle Ford had been angry when he found out, resulting in an argument between them.  Dipper had gone to bed angry with the man.  What had happened in the forest?  Could it be the cause of his aches?  Dipper’s eyes shot open at the recollection of encountering Gideon.

 

Gideon had sent a pack of mind controlled Killbillies after him.  Dipper’s eyes stared up at the dark ceiling of his room.  He was tucked into bed.  His mind was still piecing the events in the forest together.  The monsters had chased him for quite a ways despite it being in the middle of the day.  They had managed to tackle him a few times, but he had struck back and got away.  Then he stumbled.  It was a blur after that, too much had happened at once for him.  Dipper had driven the Killbillies off, but not alone.

 

Bill Cipher, the name came to Dipper.  The golden demon had helped him.  Somehow he became a shield on Dipper’s arm to help combat the creatures’ claws.  Dipper hadn’t been able to keep it up, and then Bill ran them off with his magic.  Blue fire had erupted and attacked the Killbillies.  It was the same blue fire that had protected him from Gideon.

 

Dipper’s thoughts were interrupted by the touch of something smooth against his covered arm.  That familiar spot on his neck tingled, buzzed even.  He flinched from whatever touched him, or had it pulled away?  Dipper wasn’t sure.  What he did know was that he was not alone in his room.  Chocolate eyes landed on a familiar golden figure.  His back was to Dipper.

 

“Bill?” Dipper questioned in concern.

 

The demon snapped his head to the side to look at the source of the sound.  Dipper flinched at the sudden motion.  He was still unsure how trustworthy Bill Cipher was.  Sure the demon had helped him before, but something inside told Dipper to be cautious.  The single golden eye stared at the human.  That slit pupil narrowed in focus for a split second.  Dipper could easily see the way Bill’s muscles relaxed upon recognizing him.  Surely that was a good sign.  Why was the demon in his room?

 

“Pine Tree,” Bill greeted cheerily as he stood.  His smile was too wide and sharp to be mistaken for a human.  “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon.”

 

“Uh, me neither,” Dipper said nervously.  His eyes briefly drifted to the wriggling appendages behind Bill.  He squinted at them.  Was that what touched him?  “So, what brings you to my room?”

 

“...I’m honestly not sure,” Bill said after a beat.

 

An expression of deep thought crossed his face.  Why was he here?  The fight with Strange and Pyronica was the last thing he recalled.  He had been in a weakened state.  Bill looked at his left hand as he thought.  He was whole again.  Both arms were intact, as was the rest of him.  Bill glanced behind him and stretched his tentacles out.  Everything seemed fine now.  What had happened out there?

 

Bill returned his attention to Pine Tree.  The human was focused on the moving tendrils at his back.  The demon tilted his head at the wary expression.  He ceased the movement of his extra limbs.  They dropped down and melded into his black slacks.  That seemed to put the kid at ease, if only slightly.  Pine Tree must be the jumpy sort.  It was odd for Bill Cipher to accommodate another like this.  Normally he would go out of his way to make them afraid, not the other way around.  He did like the kid, though. Pine Tree was safe territory.  The kid may be his key to finally having a leg up, if Bill were to believe this strange connection.

 

“Thanks again,” Dipper said to break up the silence.  “For helping me before.”

 

“To be fair, Pine Tree,” Bill began as he made himself more comfortable.  He crossed his legs, defying gravity with his hands resting on his knees.  “You helped me out first.  If not for you I’d still be a statue in the middle of the forest.”

 

“I guess it was good I went out there after all,” Dipper said with a hesitant smile.  He truly was feeling at ease around Bill, but there was also a slight restlessness.  It was like he felt they weren’t close enough.  Dipper got out from under his covers to sit in the same way as Bill.  He faced the demon, even though Bill was floating about an inch higher than his bed.  “If Gideon hadn’t sent those creatures after me I might not have stumbled on you.”

 

“The offer to take care of him is still on the table, Pine Tree,” Bill declared.  His eyebrow lifted as though he expected Dipper to jump on it.  He was no stranger to revenge deals.  They could be a lot of fun.

 

“I don’t want him dead, Bill,” Dipper replied.  His smile dropped, more from his own thoughts than Bill’s offer.  He was just now realizing that he had the demon’s name, but hadn’t given his in return.  “My name is Dipper, by the way.  Why do you call me Pine Tree?”

 

“Dipper, huh?” Bill repeated.  What kind of a name was that?  Granted a lot of human names were odd to him.  He shrugged at the thought.  “Your magical energy takes the form of a tree in the mindscape, so I call you Pine Tree.  Congratulations on awakening it by the way.  Granted you are still a ways from reaching your potential with it.”

 

“Uh, thanks,” Dipper said with an uncertain expression.  It seemed that much of the demons answers just caused more questions to arise.  “Do you give nicknames to everyone based on their magical energy?”

 

“More or less,” Bill confessed with a shrug.  “So, how long have you been in this place?”

 

“A few weeks, not quite a month,” Dipper said.  He glanced down at his hands in his lap.  Had it really been that long since Mabel and he came to stay at the Mystery Shack.  “My sister and I are staying with our grunkles while we learn magic.”

 

Bill had been looking around while listening to Dipper.  It felt weird to use the kid's name.  He caught the detail of him learning magic with his sister.  The word ‘grunkles’ was only registered a second later.  What the hell was that?  Bill’s eye landed on the closed window at the one end of the room.  He blinked in confusion at the familiar shape.  Bill stood and walked over to the window.  It wasn’t just the shape that was familiar to him.

 

“What is a ‘grunkle?’” Bill asked carefully.  His tone confused the human.

 

Dipper had no way of knowing the expression on the demon’s face just then.  Instead of a tingle at the back of his neck he felt like ice was being pressed against his skin.  He supposed not many understood the shortened title.  At the same time he was starting to feel not so safe in Bill’s presence.  There was just something in Dipper’s mind practically yelling ‘danger’ that was hard to ignore.  He didn’t really know enough about Bill Cipher to say that he wasn’t dangerous.

 

“It’s short for great uncle,” Dipper said carefully.  Perhaps he shouldn’t so easily share so much personal information with this demon.  “Do demons have family units?”

 

“We have brothers, but it is a bit different,” Bill said with a glance to the side.  This wasn’t exactly a conversation he wanted to have, but if the kid was curious he wouldn’t deny his Pine Tree.  He just had to stop recalling that he once used the term for certain traitors.  “We don’t have blood ties like humans, exactly.  A brother is someone we trust, have history with, that sorta thing.  I believe you humans use brother-in-arms for such ties.”

 

“I think I understand,” Dipper said with a bit of confidence.  It was mostly the lingering unease making him uncertain in Bill’s presence.  He hadn’t found this information in Great Uncle Ford’s books.  Maybe the demon would be willing to help Dipper expand on such knowledge.  “Uhm, Bill, I know we had that deal of me not telling anyone about you, but do you think I could use some of this information?  I’d like to make some notes on demons, magic, anything really that might help me out some day.  Only if you’re okay with it, though.”

 

The kid wanted information, huh?  Bill thought about it.  He was a wealth of knowledge.  It wasn’t anything new for him to share some of it.  The thought of helping Dipper with magic was appealing.  After all, Pine Tree could be a big help to his future plans, if Bill’s assumptions were correct.  The demon’s focus returned to the window.  His mind just wouldn’t let it go.  He closed his eye, focusing slightly.  Sure enough he saw himself standing on the spot, Pine Tree silently sitting on his bed with an uncertain look.  It had been so long since he looked through any of his windows to this world.  Bill focused on the outside.  Trees surrounded the dwelling.  He recognized the area.

 

“Who are your ‘grunkles’?” Bill asked when he reopened his eye.  His claws flexed at the thought of already knowing the answer.  He had actually liked the kid, too.  How much did Pine… Dipper know?

 

Dipper watched with growing unease as the demon seemed to get mad about something.  Those black tendrils rose from Bill’s lower back again.  The human didn’t care for how they wiggled about, but it was better to focus on than those deadly claws.  He suddenly felt very unsafe around Bill Cipher.  Dipper gulped, the way Bill’s ears seemed to twitch in that moment did not go unnoticed.  The brunet carefully got up from his bed.  He edged toward the door.  Bill seemed to be making no move as yet.  Dipper refused to take his eyes off his guest.

 

The scent of fear stuck in Bill’s nose.  It gave away that the kid knew enough.  That, or Bill was showing enough of his ire to scare the poor human.  Maybe he was jumping to conclusions, but this was clearly the shack the Pines resided in.  Dipper had mentioned a sister.  She was probably Tad’s human.  Bill’s fangs clenched at the thought.  The fire around his right arm flared up.  He heard Dipper stumble in his footing.  A tentacle lashed out toward the human.

 

The air crackled a short distance between the two.  Tad appeared in an instant.  His eyes fell on the outstretched appendage before him.  That purple gaze followed the tendril to Dipper.  The human carefully righted himself.  He was clearly confused by the dark limb.  Tad was just as shocked if he was honest with himself.  The tentacle had curled around the twenty year old to keep him from falling.  Dipper had apparently tripped over his own feet, probably startled by something Bill had said or done.  The appendage returned to the demon as soon as Dipper had both feet back on the floor.  Tad turned his attention to the golden demon.  A second tendril lashed at him.  It struck his cheek before attempting to curl around his throat.

 

There was barely any time between Tad’s dodge before Bill was directly in front of him.  He was unable to block the first slash to his face.  The skin burned from the claws swiping through flesh.  Tad hissed at the pain, baring his teeth.  He kicked Bill onto the bed.  This was a terrible place for a confrontation.  Both demons’ ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps.  A low growl escaped Bill before he rushed the purple demon.  Tad brought up a shield to protect himself.  It shattered on impact.  Two of Bill’s tendrils struck his shoulders, tearing through fabric and flesh, and then wall.

 

“Stop!”

 

Dipper’s shout broke through everything else.  Tad blinked at the dark appendage hovering just before his nose.  His eyes widened at the complete stillness of his opponent.  Bill seemed just as surprised that he had halted his attack.  His claws twitched, eye shifting to the third occupant in the room.  Both demons stared at Dipper.  The boy looked so small and scared in that moment.  His gaze was focused on Bill, uncertain and terrified.  Tad fell to the floor when the tentacles returned to Bill’s back.

 

Chocolate eyes met the single golden iris.  Dipper couldn’t help but flinch back when Bill fully focused on him.  He was unable to read the expression there.  There was no smile, no too sharp teeth on display.  It just didn’t seem right for Bill’s face to be without them.  Dipper barely registered the door being slammed open, or the calls of his name.  All he could focus on was the window suddenly opening, and Bill flipping backwards out of it with his left hand holding onto his top hat.  A hand on his shoulder made Dipper realize that he was intent to follow the demon into the night.  Dipper’s eyes turned to Grunkle Stan.  He didn’t understand anything that was going on.  In the next second Mabel’s arms were around him before she looked him over for injuries.  Dipper still wanted to go after Bill.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The Pines relocated to the kitchen for a family meeting.  Dipper still couldn’t believe the information dumped on him in that seemingly short amount of time.  Truthfully he was having trouble not trying to bolt for the door to find the demon meant to be his.  To think after all this time he had a demon, too.  He had wondered how long the others had known, but apparently it had been a shock all around.  How was that even possible?

 

The current topic seemed to revolve around what had occurred after Tad and Mabel had managed to retrieve Bill Cipher.  It had not been easy to get the golden demon back to the Mystery Shack.  The Stan twins and even Mabel had been reluctant to listen to Strange’s idea.  Tad believed that it would be best for Bill and Dipper to come to together, without them around.  It was quite possible that Cipher would lash out at any other sensed presence nearby.  The point was for them to open the bond, and Tad, Stan, Ford, and even Mabel could have hindered that.  He had hoped Dipper could gain his demon’s trust before they tried for a truce.

 

Obviously that had not worked out in their favor.  Perhaps bringing Bill to the Mystery Shack had been the main issue.  The area would still be familiar to the once triangle; too familiar it was proven.  It wasn’t like they could have taken Dipper to Bill, however.  There were too many dangerous beings that would have happily preyed on the unconscious human.  Granted the energy Cipher gave off could potentially deter them, but none had wanted to take the chance.

 

There was also the added issue of Bill detecting them, or at least Tad.  Stanford had specifically designed his basement area to be ‘demon proof’ in a sense.  They had been able to huddle just inside the hidden snack machine entrance while Tad kept his senses on high alert.  He had just barely sensed Dipper’s spike of fear, though.  The purple demon wasn’t sure what would have happened if he hadn’t teleported up there.  The actual events currently remained between the two demons and Dipper.  As far as the other Pines were concerned Tad had gotten his now healed wounds from jumping in front of an attack meant for the brunet.

 

“I told you that was a stupid idea,” Stanley shouted at the demon for the umpteenth time.  Everyone could understand his anger, though.  Mabel just didn’t think he needed to rub it in, Tad felt bad enough.

 

“What do we do now?” Mabel asked in hopes of getting onto a different subject.  Throwing blame was certainly getting them nowhere.  How would they keep this demon from coming after her brother?  They had to protect him.

 

“I still don’t understand,” Dipper said, drawing everyone’s attention.  He was staring at his lap on the couch.  “How could I have a demon after all this time?  The mark never appeared before.”

 

“You’ve got one now, Dipper,” Grunkle Stan said gruffly.  He hated admitting it, but there was no denying that Dipper was cursed now.  He glanced to his brother.  “Don’t you have a means to fix this?”

 

“I… there is one way,” Stanford confessed.  He tried to remember off hand, but he was missing the most important item.  “I would need my journal to be sure.  Since it’s with Gideon we don’t really have that option, though.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Mabel asked.

 

“There is a way to sever a bond between human and demon,” Ford confessed.  He glanced to Dipper with a pitying look.  “There are consequences, though.  Dipper will lose his magic if we go through with it.”

 

“What?” Mabel shouted, horrified.

 

It was enough to make Dipper look up.  He barely paid attention to their words.  Everyone else started arguing again.  He could see that they were all coming to the same conclusion, though.  His eyes fell to his lap again, his hands clenched over his knees.  Dipper had a demon, he had a partner.  That partner was apparently a monster.  That was how Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford described him.  Tad even seemed to think it was best to sever any connection to Bill Cipher.  They weren’t even asking Dipper what he thought.  There was nothing new there of course.

 

Bill hadn’t seemed that bad to him.  Granted he barely knew the demon.  He certainly didn’t know his past pertaining to Tad, Stanley, and Stanford.  He still didn't know it, because once again the trio was being as vague as possible.  All Dipper knew was that his apparent Guardian despised his family, and had attacked Mabel for being with Tad.  How could he be paired with such a being?  There was still a part of him that wanted to be, however.

 

The demon had threatened Mabel’s life.  Bill had planned to use her to get at Tad.  The two demons had a rocky history, though Tad wouldn’t give all of it away.  He only confessed to being the reason Bill was a statue, and that the golden demon had once been a floating entity cut off from his body because of Tad Strange.  Dipper knew there was more.  There had to be more to the story.  No one else was talking, however.  Once again he was denied answers.  They hadn’t even broached the question of what they would do about registering Dipper and Bill as a new partnership.  It didn’t seem like that was even on the table.  Shouldn’t this ultimately be Dipper’s decision?

 

“Dipper?” Mabel asked as she noticed her brother stand up to leave.

 

“I’m going to bed,” Dipper said.  His tone was beyond tired.  He wasn’t even sleepy, just sick of everything.  He put his hands in the pockets of his favorite hoodie.  “Let me know when you’ve sorted it out.”

 

“Dipper,” Mabel called again.  She didn’t like the way his voice sounded.  Shouldn’t he be here to help work out their plan?

 

“Dipper, wait,” Stanford said before walking up to the twenty year old.  He placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder to keep his attention.  “Listen carefully, Dipper.  Under no circumstances are you to utter his name.  Do not even think it.  Do you understand?  He gets power from that; the more that know his name the more powerful he will become.”  He glanced over to his brother and Tad briefly.  “We have taken great measures to ensure the world doesn’t remember him.  What’s more is he can zero in on anyone thinking about him.  You’re enough of a target now, Dipper, so be careful.”

 

“You don’t have to worry,” Dipper said in that same tired tone, though it sounded more defeated this time.  He shrugged off the man’s hand.  This clearly concerned the others more, not that the brunet was looking at their expressions.  He started to walk away again.  They all still heard his parting words, though he tried to say them under his breath.  “That would require me to think for myself, wouldn’t it?”

 

No one tried to follow him back to his room, although Mabel called after him.  They were probably too shocked by Dipper’s last statement.  It was how he honestly felt right now.  No one was taking his thoughts into consideration.  Was this how Mabel felt when she went to give Gideon a chance?  Dipper would rather not compare the two instances given how the one had turned out.  Surely Bill was different.  He had listened when Dipper wanted him to stop.  He hadn’t actually tried to hurt the brunet.  It was just the shock of finding out.  Dipper could relate to that, sort of.  Maybe if they just had a chance to talk this through.

 

Dipper pulled out his phone to text Wendy.  Maybe she could help him figure this out.  She was smart, and an outsider in this situation.  He needed an unbiased opinion.  Perhaps she could help him track Bill down again.  She knew these woods pretty well.  Tad was probably the only being that knew the forest better than a Corduroy.  The defiant part of Dipper continued to repeat the name Bill Cipher, just to spite his lying and controlling grunkles.  Consequences be damned.  The window was never closed.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else want to hit Stanford over the head with something? Maybe 8-ball? Well, just let me know your thoughts. Hopefully I'm keeping them relatively in character here.  
> The last chapter was meant to be Bill's memories of events. Yeah, looking back the pacing is off. I'll try to work on that, but I know it's one of my weak points in writing. I wouldn't mind pointers if anyone has some.  
> I'll try to have the next chapter up Sunday, but I can't promise anything.
> 
> Sort of a two part cipher this time.   
> ivw yilftsg zm zcv. droo hsv zggzxp?  
> dsrgv rh gvhgrmt kzgrvmxv. gsvhv kvgh ziv mlg uli gsv xlnkozxvmg.


	14. Good Bill Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bud Gleeful is happy his son is home and safe. He is not so pleased about Gideon's new found "pets." Is this really his life? Meanwhile Dipper finds he at least has Wendy for support after discovering he has a Guardian. Perhaps agreeing to let the redhead help him find said Guardian was not such a good idea. What are Bill's thoughts on the youngest Pines being his "charge"?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 14!
> 
> We have Bud and Gideon resurfacing for a bit. As the title suggests, Dipper is returning to the forest. This time with Wendy, so he's not on his own. The bold text is messaging between Wendy and Dipper. The bold, italic, strike through is just how I do Bill's deeper demonic voice.
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: exotic/mythical pet care! Angsty Dipper (self-doubt, fears, frustrations, etc.), BILL (mostly just tentacles and possessive behavior)

Bud Gleeful stared at his living room with a look of horror.  His furniture was torn up.  There were shattered vases all over the floor.  The flower pots had been dumped and smashed.  His poor plants.  One of the creatures responsible was chewing on the leaves before spitting them out.  Apparently the monsters were not herbivores, which would explain the nasty looking teeth and fingernails.  Bud did not like this one bit.

 

The only good thing about it was having Gideon back home where it was safe.  It had been safe at least, before the boy brought these things from the forest.  How had they even gotten out?  It was known that much of the forest’s inhabitants were basically trapped there.  Could it have something to do with this mind control the young Gleeful mentioned?  Bud wasn’t sure.  He didn’t even really care.  He wanted them out of his house.  They were wrecking everything.  He wasn’t even sure this mind control was working honestly.

 

“How did you get them out of the forest?” Bud eventually voiced one of his questions.  Gideon at least looked a little guilty for worrying the poor man.

 

“They just came out with me,” Gideon said.  They both glanced over when one of the Killbillies started jumping on the couch.  The younger Gleeful balled his fists and shouted at the beast.  “Get down this instant!  Stay off the furniture!”

 

The creature actually obeyed.  The others huddled around the larger Manotaur sitting in the middle of the room.  It was the only way the creature would fit in the house.  Bud was surprised (as well as thankful) that it even fit through the door without damaging anything.  He still didn’t like that any of them were in his house.  The smaller monstrosities kept dancing and jumping about.  They would have to go.  Even the large one smelled too horrible to keep indoors.

 

“You are taking them back,” Bud decided.

 

“But they’re my minions,” Gideon protested.  He looked to his father with pleading eyes.  “Please.  I can take care of them.  I’ll remember to renew the mind control.  They won’t hurt anyone I don’t tell them to.”

 

“They are too dangerous,” Bud said.  He rubbed between his eyes to combat the forming headache.  He hated to deny his son, but this was pushing it too far.  Why couldn’t Gideon just ask for a pet?  Hell, Bud would let him get anything at this point so long as it wasn’t some creature from the woods.  “What would happen if you forgot to renew it?  They would eat us!  These things aren’t even house broken.”

 

Gideon grimaced at the reminder.  He didn’t care for cleaning up after these things.  The Manotaur was the best behaved, though that didn’t sound like much of an accomplishment when compared to the hellions.  If only the creature didn’t smell so bad.  He wondered how the beast would take to being given a bath.  Probably better than the Killbillies.  They hated water about as much as they despised the sun, if not more so.  All and all it seemed Gideon would have to give up his minions for the time being.  At least he did learn one interesting detail from all this:  a mind controlled beast could leave the forest.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Wait, you have a demon too? 0-0**

 

**Apparently.  He seemed kinda cool.  A little creepy maybe…**

 

**Is he anything like Tad?  When did you find this out?  Can I meet him?**

 

**He dresses flashier than Tad.  I didn’t know he was my Guardian until now.  The mark never showed up, and it’s on the back of my neck of all places.  I don’t know where he went…**

 

**Wait, he just up and left you?!  Did he reject the bond? :(**

 

**My family doesn’t exactly like him.  There’s some bad history with Tad, too.  He didn’t seem too pleased when finding out I’m a Pines.  Grunkles are trying to break the bond anyway.**

 

**That’s possible?**

 

**If I don’t care about losing my magic forever.  Not that they’ve asked my opinion.  Not like it matters if Bill doesn’t want me…**

 

**Nuh-uh, not on my watch!  We’re finding this demon of yours and having a sit down.  I’ll tie him to a tree if I have to.**

 

**They aren’t going to let me out of the house.**

 

**Just get some snacks together.  You let me worry about the Grunks.**

 

**Mabel will try to come along.  Last time her and Bill met he wasn’t very friendly.  At all.**

 

**I said for you to let me worry about all that.  Just you and me on a hunt for Bill.  I got your back, dude.**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Dipper stared at his recent texting session with Wendy.  It felt good to know he had someone on his side.  He was still worried about everything going wrong, though.  Everything seemed to be working against him.  He was starting to worry about telling Wendy his demon’s name.  After Great Uncle Ford’s warning about even thinking the name Bill Cipher, Dipper would admit he was hesitant to utter it.  At the same time it had only made him think about the demon more.

 

Was it really a good idea to get the redhead involved?  Wendy could surely handle herself.  Hell, she could handle anything.  It was just the thought of her getting hurt because of him that worried Dipper.  There was no telling how Bill would react.  Sure the demon had left when everything came out, but that was probably because everyone was suddenly in one room and Bill was outnumbered.  What would he do if it was just Dipper and Wendy?  Of course there was no guarantee that Bill was even still in Gravity Falls at this point.  They could just end up on a wild goose chase through the forest.  The demon had certainly had enough time to leave by now.  That thought just made Dipper feel worse.

 

How many had experienced this before him?  Being rejected by one’s demon… It was something Dipper never thought he would experience.  There was a brief time where he had worried for Mable, but who would reject her?  Mabel was always so outgoing.  Everyone loved Mabel.  Well, almost everyone.  He had certainly never thought someone would want to bring his sister harm.  Gideon was infatuated with her, and wanted the rest of the Pines out of the way.  Then Bill Cipher comes along and (by his sister and Tad’s account) tries to rip Mabel’s face off!  What twisted power set Dipper up with such a being?

 

Somehow it did not change this desire to find Bill.  Dipper wanted answers.  He wasn’t getting them from his family, so maybe Bill’s side would shed more light on things.  Maybe he was meant to help a truce form between them.  That was a lot of pressure, but it seemed like the only way to move forward.  Dipper wanted to harness his magic, and Bill was the way to do that.  He just had to convince the demon to help him.  He must be rather pathetic that his own demon didn’t want him.  Sure he wasn’t the first to experience this, probably wouldn’t be the last.  Even if it had been over thirty years since the last known creation of a feral demon.  It just felt like a hole had opened up inside him.  How was he supposed to fill it?  What was he supposed to do when his Guardian wanted nothing to do with him?  He couldn’t help Mabel if he didn’t have his magic.

 

“Psst, Dipper,” Wendy whispered to get the brunet’s attention.

 

Dipper turned his head to see the Corduroy woman hanging upside down at his window.  His eyes widened before he got up from his bed.  Wendy lowered herself into his room.  She was only careful so as not to make any noise.  The last thing they needed was to alert the rest of the Pines.  Tad’s hearing was too damn good, being a demon and all.  Wendy had her axe holstered in her belt.  Dipper still wasn’t sure about this plan.

 

“I’m not so sure this is a good idea,” Dipper confessed.  His face was an open book of his every worry.  Surely something would go wrong if they went through with Wendy’s plan of scouring the forest for Bill.  Best case scenario they did not even encounter the demon.

 

“I got your back, dude,” Wendy said in encouragement.  Her smile was confident enough for the both of them.  Dipper gave a weak smile of his own.  “Come on, I want to hear more about your demon while we search.”

 

With a sigh Dipper pulled his hood over his head and followed Wendy out.  He made sure to shut the window as best he could.  Leaving it open would probably give too much away.  Granted it would be obvious he didn’t use the door.  He took a calming breath before following the redhead off the roof.  Her method was not Dipper’s favorite, but it was the only real way to get down.  The two dashed into the woods.  Dipper made sure his hunting knife was strapped to his right leg this time.

 

It was hard to say how long they had walked by that point.  Wendy called for a break by a stream.  Dipper wasn’t protesting her decision.  He should have brought a watch.  It was with this thought that he realized he had left his phone at the Shack.  Hopefully no one would find it.  Mabel knew the pass code, and it would boot up his conversation with Wendy immediately.  He was an idiot.  It would be worth it, though.  If he could talk with Bill and sort this out there wouldn’t be a problem.

 

“Hey, man, don’t think too hard,” Wendy said to break him from his doubts.  She didn’t like seeing Dipper this way.  The guy needed more confidence in himself.  She hoped working things out with his Guardian could help with that.  “We’ll find Bill.  I think we can get him to listen for at least five minutes before the tentacles come out.”

 

“I don’t even know what to say, Wendy,” Dipper confessed.  It had been the main worry on his mind, aside from his family coming to stop him before Bill was even found.  “What do you say to the demon you’re meant to be paired with when they despise your family?”

 

“I honestly don’t know, man,” Wendy said.  Her smile slipped at the thought.  Dipper was in a pickle for sure.  He could work his way out, though.  “You just… you gotta just let it out.  You know?  Speak from the heart, or something.”  Wendy let out a nervous chuckle.  “I’m really terrible at this motivational crap, huh?”

 

“No worse than Grunkle Stan,” Dipper said with a chuckle of his own.  Wendy gave him a playful punch to the arm.  The two laughed together.  It helped to ease them both.

 

“We should keep moving,” Wendy said after composing herself first.  She looked up to the sky, what little they could see through the trees.  They still had a good amount of daylight, but not even a Corduroy wanted to be out when it got dark.  “Come on.”

 

“Wait,” Dipper called when he saw her heading in a different direction.  He pointed to the path they had been taking.  “Shouldn’t we continue this way?  We don’t want to get lost out here.”

 

“Hey, you’re talking to a Corduroy here,” Wendy declared.  Her smile showed she wasn’t actually offended by Dipper’s momentary lack of confidence in her.  “The day a Corduroy gets lost in the woods is the day the Northwests open their mansion to the needy and less fortunate.  Besides, I’m keeping us out of dangerous territory.  We don’t need to run into anything that will eat us.”

 

“Oh, right,” Dipper said sheepishly.  He wrapped his hands around the straps of his bag before following Wendy.  “Sorry I doubted you there.”

 

“It’s cool,” Wendy said dismissively.  She kept her eyes peeled for any specific markings.  Her bright green gaze flicked around, her ears straining for any potential threat.  Her father hadn’t drilled these survival skills into her for nothing.  “I understand your worry.  Truthfully I’m a bit worried myself.  What exactly is the plan if this doesn’t work out?  Not that I think it won’t, I’m just being sure there is a plan.”

 

“The only plan then is to run,” Dipper confessed.  He glanced down at his feet.  He really hadn’t thought of that.  His plan and been to find Bill and talk a bit.  Maybe he just hadn’t thought that far ahead.  It was stupid of him, really.  It wasn’t just him in danger here.  Dipper didn’t know what he would do if Wendy got hurt during this.  Sure she could handle herself, but Bill was a demon.  A powerful one at that.  “We split up.  He’ll most likely focus on me.”

 

“Dude, that’s not cool,” Wendy said.  She stopped to turn to Dipper with a stern look.  “I didn’t come out here with you to let you get killed by your demon.  If he comes after you, I’m punching him.  I don’t care how close he is to Tad’s power.”

 

Dipper didn’t have the heart to tell Wendy that his demon was likely more powerful.  Given what Tad had revealed he had never dealt with Bill on his own.  Even with Mabel they had Pacifica and her demon to thank for even coming out intact.  Dipper really didn’t like their odds here.  He could only hope that Bill would talk first and hold off on tearing them apart.  He simply nodded in response and kept moving.  Wendy gave him worried glances every so often.  Their walk turned silent aside from the crunching underbrush.  Dipper kept his head down in thought, berating himself for bringing his friend into this.

 

Despite having his head down Dipper wasn’t actually paying attention to his path.  He sighed before turning his gaze upwards.  What was he even doing out here?  Was losing his magic really so bad?  He would just be sent back to Piedmont.  Mabel would be allowed to stay and train with Tad.  She would become a great spell caster.  Dipper would have to focus on studies, find a decent college.  Millions of people did that.  They didn’t have demons and they got by just fine.  What made him detest the thought so much?

 

Mabel would be successful.  Mabel would have Tad.  She would spend time with Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford.  She would have to deal with Gideon without him around.  She would fight off monsters without Dipper.  She would take down dangerous demons without Dipper.  It was the thought of being left behind that bothered him.  Mabel was the outgoing one.  Dipper had his smarts, he would get by.  He would get by without his sister by his side.  He didn’t want to be separated.  It would happen eventually, though.  It had to in the end, right?  Better to get it over and done with.  Dipper brought his head down to wipe at his face.  This wasn’t a time for him to get emotional.

 

“Dipper!”

 

Wendy’s shout reached him too late.  Dipper sniffed and pushed back his tears.  The next thing he knew his foot slipped.  He had walked right to a steep incline.  A rock caught his back foot and he tumbled forward.  There was no telling what was at the bottom of the slope.  It could be more rocks.  It could be a stream or pond.  It could even be some dangerous creature’s home.  Dipper’s eyes closed as gravity was left to take over.  He felt the wind move his hair.  He could tell he was upside down.  There was something grasping his right leg.  It didn’t feel like a hand, so Wendy hadn’t caught him in time.

 

Chocolate eyes hesitantly opened to see what had happened.  Dipper could see Wendy looking at him with an expression of shock and worry.  She was relieved he was unharmed; though something in her gaze made it clear she was unsure how long that would last.  Dipper felt his heart clench at the thought.  Something black was wrapped around him.  It had kept him from falling to whatever waited below.  It was also keeping him upside down in the air.  Dipper could feel the blood rushing to his head.  It did not stop him from identifying the dark appendage.  His eyes tried to follow the way it curved off, leading somewhere.  He didn’t need to see where it led to know who had saved him, though.

 

Bill watched the young human.  His face was just as blank as it had been when Dipper last saw him.  It hadn’t been that long ago, really.  It felt like it to the demon, though.  His slit pupil narrowed as his mind raced.  Why was he drawn to Pine Tree like this?  It was almost like he could sense the kid’s emotional state.  There was something about this Pines boy that called to him.  It had kept him from just leaving this hick town.  After being stuck here for so long and now one insignificant human stood between him and true freedom.  Was Dipper really insignificant to him, though?  Bill wasn’t so sure of that.  His claws dug into the bark of the branch he sat on.  His tendrils moved restlessly at his back.

 

Pine Tree looked so small at this distance, in his tentacle’s grasp.  Was it really such a surprise that he was a Pines?  Bill sneered at the thought.  It really should have been obvious.  The chestnut locks, chocolate orbs; everything just screamed of the Pines bloodline.  Either Bill should have left this wretched town by now, or he should have ended those he despised.  Did he despise Pine Tree?  No, surprisingly he did not hate the human despite his lineage.  Granted Bill had never believed in the ‘sins of generations past’ all that much.  It wasn’t the kid’s fault that Tad dragged his family into this.  Bill just had no plans in becoming a glorified pet as others had.

 

A brief inhale revealed that his little human was afraid.  Why did Bill care?  His entire being buzzed with the urge to toss Pine Tree’s fears away.  His claws dug further into the bark around him.  The kid appeared unharmed.  His problems were internal rather than physical.  Pine Tree had a lot of doubts.  He barely took note of the other human with them.  Bill could tell she was a Corduroy with a simple glance.  Her threats to punch him had been mildly amusing.  She was little more than background to him, honestly.

 

“Thought you would have learned this place is dangerous, Pine Tree,” Bill said to break up the silence.  His claws flexed while his extra appendages wiggled about.  He slowly drew Dipper closer by shortening his tentacle.

 

Dipper bit his bottom lip in thought.  They had found Bill at least.  He didn’t really know how to proceed.  Dipper honestly hadn’t thought he would get this far.  The use of Bill’s nickname gave him hope, though. If he was still Pine Tree to the other, there was hope.  At least Dipper hoped that was the case.  Wendy pulled out her axe, her eyes darting around to calculate how best to reach the demon and protect her friend.  She really hoped Dipper had come up with something.

 

“Not much to worry about when I have a powerful demon,” Dipper replied eventually.  He was showing a confidence he did not actually possess.  The smile he tried to display faltered too much.

 

“Is that what the square told you?” Bill asked.  He was still hesitant to believe that was the reason for this perceived connection.  He certainly wouldn’t bend to whatever plans Strange had.  How much of his affinity for Pine Tree wasn’t fabricated by the other demon’s meddling?

 

“I…,” Dipper faltered at Bill’s response.  Did Bill really not want to be his partner?  Dipper turned his head away just as he was halted before the golden demon.  He swallowed before looking at the demon.

 

The golden demon tilted his head.  His eye narrowed at Dipper’s forehead.  It was clearly not where the mark proclaiming him Bill’s human was placed, but there was something familiar.  One of his tendrils wrapped around his human's waist before the other released the brunet. Dipper was slowly turned upright. Bill felt a spike of fear from the mortal as he lifted a claw to hold Dipper’s face in place.  Bill studied the strange marking there, normally hidden by mocha colored bangs.  Dipper winced more out of anticipation than actual discomfort when his head was adjusted for his demon to study him more carefully.

 

“Ursa Major,” Bill said, barely audible.  If Dipper wasn’t so close he would not have heard it.

 

“Uh, yeah, it’s how I got my nickname,” Dipper confessed.  He offered a hesitant smile, unsure what exactly was going on here.  Bill pulled back with a look of confusion.  “The Big Dipper.  It’s another name for the Ursa Major.”

 

Wendy managed to hide herself behind the tree Bill was perched in.  She pressed her back against the bark with her axe in hand.  The redhead paused at the sounds of limited conversing.  Dipper didn’t sound like he was too panicked.  His voice certainly showed no signs of immediate distress or great pain.  Wendy felt a little relieved at that.  Perhaps they could work this out after all.  She would put her trust in Dipper, but she would remain close in case something went wrong.

 

Bill’s only response was a low hum.  Instead of letting it go at that he went back to studying the birthmark.  Dipper flinched when both of the demon’s hands held his face still.  He was definitely uncomfortable now.  His mouth opened to protest.  There was a moment of dread when he thought Bill would just pull his head off.  That unnerving, too wide grin was back with a vengeance.  Somehow it put Dipper at ease.  Bill wasn’t going to hurt him.  He slowly let his body relax.  There was a comforting warmth originating at the triangular mark on the back of Dipper’s neck.  His fingers started itching to return the demon’s touch in some way.

 

Dipper’s relaxed state took a hit when he watched the demon’s mouth open.  Those impossibly sharp teeth parted for a long, golden tongue to slip out.  Dipper’s eyes widened as the wet appendage swiped over his forehead.  His entire being stiffened once more at the sensation.  A shiver ran down his spine.  Dipper wasn’t entirely sure it was unpleasant.  He just knew that he had not expected Bill to lick him.  That was just too bizarre to deal with.

 

“Y̢͕ͦ̆̓ͩ̃ͬ̃͋̀o͐̇̑̾͏̞̠̣̰̳ṷ͔̻̜̗̤̭ͪͪ'͚̝̮̥̤͒ͫ̂͌͝ṟ̢͖̬̝̗ͪ̒ͯ͞e̎̍̿͊̐̅̄͘̕͏͈͔ ̶͙͖̫̼̥͔̌ͬͫ̈m̦̬͙̦̂̐̂ͧ͋̃̋̀͘͞͝i͓̞̹̯̇͋͌ͥ͆͞ͅn̶͇̗̣͕̤͌̽͆͊͊ͥ͑̏̀e̬͊̊̐ͥ̚,̥̤̣͍̿̄ ̛͉̬̳͔̙̱̪̳̏̒́̔P̶̹̟̒̌̆ͩͮͣi͚͖̰͔͔̺̘͂ͯ̅͊ͨ͞͞n̷̘̻̯̠̭̦͔̓̎̇̿̌̀eͪͦ҉̲ ̸̣̞̱͖̽̀͗̄ͨ̏̏̀ͅT̓͗̿̔̐̐̿ͪͮ͏̭͍̺͇̙̯̺̰r͋̇̃ͧ̔͞҉͇͔̺̥͉͙͉͙͘ȩ̳̰̰̺ͧ̐͞e͉̼̯̗̱̭̭̞͒͘͢ͅ,” Bill stated.  His voice was deeper in that moment.

 

Brown eyes met gold.  The brunet wasn’t sure he liked the expression there.  Dipper watched as black briefly took over Bill’s sclera.  The shiver that went through him that time was definitely one of fear.  With a simple blink the demon’s eye was back to normal.  There was a softness to Bill’s smile then.  It put Dipper at ease, but there was still something about his demon that unnerved him.  At least he knew Bill wasn’t rejecting their bond.  Now he just had to work through getting his demon and his family to tolerate each other.

 

“Uh, guys?” Wendy pulled the pair from whatever moment they were having.  She had relaxed after seeing that Bill actually didn’t mean Dipper any harm.  That hint (if it could be called that) of possessiveness did put her on edge, however.  “Hi, hate to interrupt, but maybe now is a good time to get out of here.  I for one don’t want to be stuck out here when the dangerous ones start lurking.”

 

“What’s wrong, Red?” Bill asked with a not so pleasant smirk.  Wendy’s grip on her axe tightened instinctively.  Bill dropped to the ground, gently allowing his human’s feet to touch the surface once more.  The redhead tried not to think about this demon forcing even her father to look up.  “Just a little while ago you were all for punching me.  What are a few bloodthirsty beasts?”

 

“I will still punch you,” Wendy warned.  The look in Bill’s single eye was far too amused for her liking.  Just because this was Dipper’s demon didn’t mean she wouldn’t throw down.

 

“Bill,” Dipper tried in a hesitant voice.  He didn’t want his friends to fight.  If Bill couldn’t get along with Wendy then what hope did they have of convincing his family to accept the demon?

 

“Then let’s see you try,” Bill said to egg her on.  His sharp smile gave her pause.  Wendy knew demons could be dangerous, even ones with a Charge.  She watched his eye flicker to her axe.  “Or would you rather try chopping me up?”

 

“Bill, please,” Dipper voiced again.

 

“As long as you don’t hurt Dipper we won’t have a problem,” Wendy said.  That was her stipulation.  She wasn’t as confident as she was a few moments ago.  Surely Bill wouldn’t go against his human’s wishes.

 

“Fair enough,” Bill relented with his signature too wide grin.  He could play nice with Pinetree’s little friend for a bit.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be scaring your human there, Bill. Also antagonizing a Corduroy is probably a bad idea. More will go down next chapter (next weekend)
> 
> Oh, and you're going to love this one:  
> dsviv wrw gsv pmruv tl?


	15. Possessive Demons and Family Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the life of Pacifica Northwest reveals that her family are not the upstanding citizens they try to portray. Meanwhile Dipper has to work to convince his family to give Bill Cipher a chance. Ford wants to hear none of it, and Bill isn't helping his case. Perhaps there is some support within the Pines, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are once again. It is quite possible you will all hate me for this, or hate certain characters more. We shall see what happens.  
> As many know, Preston is not getting father of the year anytime soon. We'll give that to Bud even if he has his own issues. At least he cares about his son more than family reputation.
> 
> So, warnings in no particular order: Bill, small amount of blood, bad parenting practices, prejudice, Dipper angst
> 
> If anyone feels I missed anything please let me know.

Pacifica Northwest took a deep breath after making sure her appearance was flawless.  She gazed up at the imposing door to her father’s office.  Another week had gone by, and it was time for her to report to the man.  Pacifica hated it.  The man could still make her feel so small after all these years.  She bit her bottom lip in preparation.  He was going to be furious with her.

 

The room within was filled with trophies and documents proclaiming the accomplishments of the Northwest line.  At the far center rested a mahogany desk.  The man sitting at it wore a black three piece suit.  It was probably the closest to casual wear Preston Northwest owned, not counting his golfing attire or sleepwear.  His mustache was always expertly trimmed, and his hair was just as perfect.  He would not stand for anything less.  One had to wonder how he avoided grey hairs, but his dark caramel locks were probably just as intimidated as his own daughter.  Preston Northwest would not stand for anything less than perfection.  Not even Pacifica was spared from this expectation.  The man did not acknowledge the opening of his door as he went over some paperwork.

 

The platinum blonde gathered her courage before leading with her right foot.  Her stride was confident and unrushed.  Pacifica would not allow any of her inner struggles to show.  A Northwest just did not do that.  She stopped a short distance from the large desk.  Her shoulders were squared as she awaited acknowledgement.  Waiting was the worst part.  Pacifica had learned quickly that fidgeting would not be tolerated.  She had the Northwest name; she should act like it, if she dared to think herself worthy of the name.  Her eyes did not travel beyond the edge of the desk.  Catching her father’s eye was also not tolerated.  She was his daughter, not his equal.

 

Preston signed one of the important documents before him.  The man took his time in finishing everything up.  He gained a certain satisfaction in making his daughter wait.  She had matured into a decent Northwest, but sadly not the best.  Pacifica had too many flaws, most of them stemming from that hideous imperfection on her cheek.  The girl had learned to cover it up around him at least.  She continued to show him the respect he deserved, despite whatever poison that demon spewed behind his back.  Pacifica was allowed to keep the thing in her room, but Preston would not stand for seeing it wandering his halls.  This was his mansion.  Either his rules were followed, or the brat could forget about her heiress status.  The ability to continue his lineage be damned.  It was already tarnished when that blemish appeared on Pacifica’s cheek.

 

“I trust that Thing is locked away,” Preston said once he put his pen down.  He looked over his daughter with a neutral expression.  The fact that he did not sneer at her appearance was the closest to acceptance Pacifica would be granted.

 

“Yes, sir,” Pacifica replied with a curt nod.  She had learned long ago not to address her Guardian as such around the man.  Preston had been furious enough hearing her use Pyronica’s name in simple conversation.  The demon was not a pet; that was the closest to an agreement they had.  “Nothing has tried to breach the barriers this week.”

 

“Good,” Preston said simply.  His expression remained the same; cold detachment.  Pacifica knew nothing else outside of public appearances and press interviews.  “Is that all?”

 

“There was an incident involving the Pines,” Pacifica said carefully.  She tried to control her body language, but it made her voice shaky.  She still found it hard to control both at once.  Her eyes were trained on the desk despite keeping her head up.  Pacifica knew she had her father’s full attention.  “The boy is now partnered with a demon as well.  It goes by the name Bill Cipher.”

 

“Bill Cipher,” Preston repeated the name.  It sounded familiar to him.  He tapped a finger to his chin.  He was getting sick of all these abominations running about.  Why did this one sound familiar to him?  “Does It know this new demon?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Pacifica nodded along with her affirmation.  Admittedly Pyronica did seem hesitant to share what she knew.  All the platinum blonde gained was that the three demons shared a history, and that Cipher was a powerful and dangerous demon.  “There are hints that a strong bond may already be forming with Dipper Pines, despite an apparent animosity towards the family.”

 

Preston pondered this information.  He really could care less about how this demon felt about the Pines family, or any human for that matter.  The boy bonding closely with such a creature could be a problem, however.  Preston hummed in thought.  His hands clasped one another behind his back.  Preston’s eyes widened as he stared at the wall behind his desk and chair.  An image appeared in his mind of blue flames.  Familiar screams echoed in his head.  Preston forced his eyes shut from the memories.

 

Jagged fangs revealed themselves in a twisted smile.  A deep inhale preceded a slow release of breath.  A golden eye opened with a too pleased spark.  Bill Cipher reveled in the feeling of being remembered.  His name was once again traveling through the grapevine.  The Pines and that square had been foolish to think they could stop it, stop him.  His pointed ears twitched in anticipation to hear another utter his name.  He could hardly wait for it to spread throughout the world once more.  A dark chuckle bubbled up from his core, threatening to become full blown laughter.

 

A pull at the back of his neck caused a sharp inhale.  Bill’s glee was suddenly vanquished by a growing panic.  His eye shifted throughout the room he currently occupied.  It was the one he had conversed with Pine Tree in, before learning the kid’s bloodline.  Not that it mattered to him now.  Regardless of blood or bond, Pine Tree was his and his alone.  Bill had decided that the second he discovered that familiar mark on his mortal’s forehead.  Dipper Pines was meant to be his.  His lost Sight had been gracious enough to show him that before being ripped from him all those eons ago.

 

There was nothing special about the attic room Pine Tree had taken for himself.  The window was the best feature by far.  Books were scattered on the floor.  The kid had attempted some form of organization, but clearly failed.  The bed was anything but comfortable.  Honestly, what were the Pines doing with their pitiful human currency?  Surely the square could do something to help them purchase decent sleeping furniture.  It seemed Bill would have to step in for his little tree.

 

That sensation persisted.  The golden demon was about ready to tear his skin off at the spot.  Instead he called forth one of his dark appendages.  The tentacle rose from his lower back and stretched out before doing his bidding.  The smooth, tapered tip slid under the collar of his button up top.  Bill leaned his head forward to allow the tendril better access to the area.  It brushed over an uneven spot.  The extra limb pulled back in Bill’s shock.  His golden eye narrowed.

 

“So that’s where it is,” Bill said to himself.

 

Bill stood up from the bed.  He swiftly walked over to the closed window.  His waist coat was tossed onto the bed in seconds.  Clawed fingers unbuttoned his top quickly.  Bronze flesh peeked out of the parting fabric.  Bill swiftly turned to face his back to the window.  He closed his eye to concentrate.  Almost instantly his vision became that of the window’s image.  He could easily see his form.  His shirt was pulled down from his shoulders.  Bill lifted one of his tendrils to the strange spot on the back of his neck.  Just above the area between his shoulder blades the skin was raised slightly.  Through the window he could make out what marred his flesh.  There was a blue tree shape emblazoned there.

 

The image was replaced with the far wall and door of the room when Bill opened his eye again.  Pyronica had had a pale llama on her cheek matching the pink flame on that Northwest girl.  Eight-Ball once had a crescent shape on his right shoulder to match the eight inside two circles on Stanley in the same area.  Bill still did not know where Tad had his mark, or where the square was on Pine Tree’s sister.  His fangs grinded together at the thought of being just like them.  He was another demon reduced to nothing more than a human’s pet.  No, Bill refused to let that be the case.  If Bill Cipher was to be the demon of Dipper Pines that meant the kid was  _ his _ human.

 

The satisfaction of coming to this conclusion was short lived.  That spot on his neck tingled again.  That would probably get annoying far too quickly.  The longer it persisted the more uneasy Bill felt.  He questioned the feelings bubbling within his being.  They were not entirely his own.  A growl escaped him at the thought.  Something was distressing his human.  Not on Bill Cipher’s watch.  A simple snap of his fingers had his entire outfit returning to its pristine condition.  Golden light and cerulean flames engulfed the room to signal his departure.  It was left completely untouched and minus one demon a second later.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Dipper had found it surprisingly easy to convince Bill Cipher to follow him back home.  The demon had decided the human was his.  Whether that was truly because of their bond or some other possessive reason the brunet was not certain.  Either way the pair had helped Wendy get back home easily enough.  Bill showed a penchant for antagonizing others that would most likely make a truce with the other Pines nigh impossible.  Dipper could only hope that other parts of the demon shone through brighter.  He still didn’t know enough about his demon to say how that would work out.

 

Bill appeared naturally curious about his surroundings.  The demon floated off course often to investigate an odd flower or creature.  Much of the fauna they came across because of this had fled.  Bill had simply moved on to the next interesting inhabitant.  Dipper could have gone without the gnome ambush.  Apparently they had wandered too close to their kingdom.  That or the tiny men had simply spotted Dipper and recalled their last encounter.  The pair had been pelted with pinecones and other hard items found in the forest.  Most of the thrown objects had been targeting Dipper, but were intercepted by Bill’s tentacles.

 

The brunet failed to keep the grateful smile from his face.  In the end the gnomes had been the ones sent running.  The hard part had been keeping Bill from pursuing their attackers for some actual revenge.  Dipper would rather not paint the forest red, or whatever color gnomes bleed.  He had learned that while Bill was clearly a violent demon, he was also quite protective of what was his.  It gave the human a warm feeling in his chest knowing that his fears of rejection were so clearly unfounded.  His only concern now was his family’s reaction to all this.

 

The pair had eventually made it back to the Mystery Shack.  Dipper was hesitant to confront his family right away.  Luckily Bill had chosen to make his own entrance rather than simply use the door.  Thankfully the demon had used the window to Dipper’s attic room.  He did not want to think about the fallout should Bill have decided to make his own hole into the place.  No, the issue had been suppressing his squeak when his demon suddenly lifted him into his long arms and defied gravity.  Bill’s tentacles had opened the window for the pair to slip in.  The demon easily floated in and over to the bed.  Dipper had been forced to stay in the blond’s hold a little longer than necessary.  The brunet sat sideways in Bill’s lap for a few minutes before he felt uncomfortable with the continued contact.  Dipper couldn’t help thinking about the last time they were so close.  He could still feel the phantom sensation of Bill’s too long tongue sliding across his birthmark.

 

No, getting Bill to the Mystery Shack had been easy.  The hard part was convincing the demon to stay in his room.  The demon had not been pleased with Dipper taking charge of the situation.  Dipper just didn’t want a fight to break out between his family and Guardian.  It felt strange calling Bill such.  The demon seemed more likely to guide him into danger than away from it.  Granted Dipper knew he wouldn’t let any harm come to him from it.  In the end Dipper gave Bill the stipulation that he would consent to being called “his human” only if the demon played nice with the rest of the Pines, which included Tad.  Perhaps Dipper was pushing his luck a bit, but it had worked.

 

Dipper took a calming breath at the bottom of the stairs to his room.  Whether the hard part was taken care of or not he had yet to determine.  Bill seemed convinced, now it was up to Dipper to talk to his family.  Surely he could at least get Mabel on his side.  They just had to see that Bill wasn’t a threat, at least not to them.  The last time Dipper had seen them they were discussing breaking his bond with the demon.  He wondered how long it would take to bring them all around.  He fidgeted before heading for the stairs to the first floor.  It sounded like everyone was in the kitchen.

 

“We can’t go in guns blazing, Stanley,” Great Uncle Ford said.  Dipper was just close enough to make out every word.

 

“Well the longer we wait the more danger Dipper is in,” Grunkle Stan pointed out.

 

It seems they had made their decision on the bond, without Dipper present.  Sure he had elected to leave the room himself, but they hadn’t considered his thoughts then either.  Perhaps it was just a case of his grunkles feeling they knew best.  What had Mabel been doing during this discussion, though?  Did she not care about his thoughts on it either?  Surely that wasn’t the case.  It was how it came off to Dipper, though.  Well, he was here to put a stop to it now.  Dipper cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.  He had to show his confidence in this, but he also needed to keep his head to get his point across.

 

“I made my decision,” Dipper said with more hesitation than he would have liked.

 

“Are you feeling better, dip-dop?” Mabel asked.

 

They all seemed to ignore his statement.  It irked him further.  They were talking about him behind his back.  They were making decisions without his input.  What if he didn’t want his magic taken away?  What if he wished to work things out with Bill?  Did they think he was so incapable?  Well, he would show them.  Bill was already on his side.  That would show them how capable he was.  Dipper squared his shoulders and walked into the kitchen to join the others.  They watched him with mixed expressions ranging from concern to confusion.

 

“I’m fine,” Dipper eventually replied.  He turned his attention mainly to Great Uncle Ford.  The man seemed confused about being singled out by his great nephew.  “I’m not breaking the bond.”

 

“Dipper,” Stanford said carefully.  He had a pitying look in his eyes.  The brunet bristled at the expression and patronizing sound.  “It is dangerous to keep the connection with this demon.  He can single you out because of it.  You will never be safe unless the bond is removed.”

 

“Or,” Dipper cut in suddenly.  He paused to take a calming breath.  It was unlike him to interrupt his great uncle like that, though as of late their relationship had become rather strained.  “Or, alternatively, maybe I could try strengthening it instead.”

 

“What?” Stanford and Stanley shouted at the same time.

 

The two Stans wore matching shocked expressions.  They clearly thought Dipper had lost his mind.  Dipper glanced away from the two.  Mabel looked worried for him, and guilty about something.  Clearly she was of a similar mind that such a thing just couldn’t be done.  Tad was the only one that didn’t look like it was completely out of the question.  The purple demon gave Dipper a hopeful gaze.  Whether Tad truly believed in him, or just desperately wanted to, was unclear.  It was the closest thing to support he was going to get from this group apparently.  Dipper sighed before turning his gaze back to the eldest Pines.

 

“I want to try connecting with Bill,” Dipper confessed.

 

Stanford looked like his nephew had just uttered the foulest curse in existence.  Stanley just stood there with a mostly blank expression.  There was pity there that made Dipper want to turn from his grunkle, but the brunet thought he saw a spark of understanding.  Grunkle Stan knew what it was like to have a Guardian, so maybe he could see why Dipper at least wanted to try.  Maybe the man could believe in his nephew.  Mabel would certainly be behind her twin.  She didn’t want to see him give up his magic.  If there was a chance then she believed Dipper should definitely take it.  Mabel just didn’t want him to get hurt.

 

“Absolutely not,” Ford stated.  He looked repulsed by the very notion.  His body was almost shaking as he tried to force Dipper to understand.  “Dipper, you don’t have any idea how dangerous he is!  He’ll kill you without a second thought!  There is no reasoning with such a monster!”

 

“Bill is my guardian,” Dipper shouted back.  His fists clenched at his sides.  He didn’t miss how both grunkles flinched at the demon’s name.  He didn’t really care in that moment.  “I should decide whether I want to keep this bond!  It should be my decision if I learn magic from him or not!”

 

“You’ll get yourself killed, Dipper,” Stanford said in equal parts exasperation and anger.  Did the boy not think?  “And stop using his name!  I told you the consequences.  We can’t set up a barrier because of you!  We don’t need you inviting that creature in here anymore than you already have!”

 

“Woah, Stanford, that is too far,” Stanley said before Dipper could come back with anything.  He gestured to their nephew.  “Dipper has no control over this.  It’s not his fault that mark appeared on his neck any more than it’s Mabel’s fault she got Tad’s.”

 

“No, you’re right,” Ford relented with a sigh.  He glanced to the floor in shame.  That had been too far on his part.  Dipper just had to understand the danger they were all in.  It was not his fault, though.  Stanford clenched his fists at the knowledge of whose fault it was.  “This is Tad’s doing.”

 

“Wait, what?” Mabel questioned, rising to defend her demon.

 

“If you hadn’t started this bonding in the first place Dipper would be safe,” Stanford said.  He glared at the demon.  This was a new development for the youngest twins.  “We wouldn’t be dealing with this monster again!”

 

“The spell binding humans to demons and vise versa was meant to bring our two species together,” Tad said.  His usual calm seemed a little strained.  He was getting tired of this infighting.  The return of Bill Cipher had all of them on edge.

 

“And now it has put Dipper in danger,” Stanford pointed out.

 

“Knock it off,” Mabel said.  She moved around the table to stand beside her demon.  “It’s not like Tad decided which demon gets which human.”  She turned to Tad with an uncertain expression.  “Right?”

 

“The spell chooses humans and demons at random,” Tad said.  He and those that aided in its casting had not thought of limiting or controlling who got paired or with whom.  “It should be determined based on some compatibility, but that is not always obvious.”

 

“Then there should be something connecting Bill and me to form this bond,” Dipper concluded.  He was trying to use it to convince the others to trust him.

 

“Dipper, you can’t just throw his name around like that,” Stanford shouted.  He was getting close to attempting to shake sense into the boy.  Dipper clearly didn’t understand what he was getting into, or dragging everyone else into.  “It is too dangerous to keep this bond.  Regardless of what you think he is too dangerous, and you can’t control him!”

 

“I don’t want to control him, but I can talk with him,” Dipper said in protest.  His desperation was showing.  Why wouldn’t Great Uncle Ford trust him?  Frustrated tears stung at the corners of his eyes.  “I can convince him to be helpful rather than hurtful.  I can try to bring an understanding between us.”

 

Stanford opened his mouth to protest.  There was a sudden crackling sound in the air.  Everyone fell silent.  The wind whooshed past his ear.  There was a slight sting at the tip of the cartilage.  Ford lifted his hand to his ear.  His hair had been cut around it, barely noticeable.  He looked down at his hand.  There was a small amount of blood staining his finger tips.  He slowly lifted his gaze to look at his grandnephew.  Stanford took a step back at what he saw.  Fear was plain on his face.

 

Dipper watched his great uncle with sudden concern.  He noticed the hunting knife embedded in the wall behind the man.  Before the brunet could look down to check the one that should be strapped to his leg he felt something behind him.  Dipper’s head rested back against a hard chest.  He stiffened at the unexpected contact.  Chocolate eyes shifted down to his chest at the sensation of a hand there.  A gloved hand pressed into him, forcing him closer to the being behind him.  Dipper’s eyes moved again, this time to the sides of him.  Black tentacles twisted in the air.  They appeared agitated in their movements.  He noticed Tad standing in front of Mabel in a defensive stance.  His thoughts went to Grunkle Stan, who he couldn’t see in that moment.

 

A growl sounded at Dipper’s opposite ear.  The brunet dragged his bottom lip between his teeth.  He hesitantly moved his eyes to look at that side.  He squeezed them shut at the feeling of black clad claws flexing against his chest.  They did not tear the fabric of his shirt, thankfully.  They were not placed there to hurt him, but keep him close.  Dipper had the urge to grasp the clawed hand.  Should he really do that, though?  He opened his eyes and tried to look at the being against him again.  Dipper could make out goldenrod skin surrounding a darker patch.  Sharp, pearly fangs were bared near his face.

 

“It’s been a while, S̽̈́҉̺̹̘͝i̱̘̮̠̮̼ͬͥ͑ͥ͌́͒͠x̡̪̗̞͎̮͆̓̍͛ͅe̱̞̗̖̹̹͔̳͎ͭͣͮ͛́̋͢ř͕̭ͭ,” Bill growled.  His mouth morphed into a threatening smile.  Stanford stared back in horror.  The normally golden eye was black with a red pupil.  The demon’s tentacles shifted about in anticipation.  Bill wanted nothing more in that moment than to tear through the mortal.  “You seem to have upset my Pine Tree.”

 

There was suddenly a hand resting against Bill’s gloved claw.  His eye suddenly returned to its golden hue.  Stanford blinked at the shift.  His eyes hesitantly lowered to the claw on Dipper’s chest.  The twenty year old was carefully holding onto it.  His hand squeezed the deadly claw.  The tentacles paused in their twisting motions.  Bill inhaled slowly, catching his human’s scent.  He closed his eye at the smell of spices and crisp forest air.  He straightened up to his full height.  Dipper’s head just barely reached Bill’s chest.  Silence blanketed the room in that moment.

 

Bill moved his other arm around his human as well.  Dipper breathed slowly to keep himself calm.  He was not used to his demon’s presence as yet.  He stiffened a moment when Bill rested his chin on Dipper’s head.  The brunet felt the air crackle around them.  A tentacle suddenly curled around his face, blocking his vision.  Dipper heard his family calling to him before all went silent around him.  The Pines and Tad all stared in shock at the now vacant spot the brunet and demon had once occupied.  

 

“No,” Stanford breathed out after a length of silence.  He looked at the area the pair had disappeared from with an expression of horror.  He had let that monster take his nephew.  There was no telling what would happen to Dipper, but he knew it would be anything but good.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Winx for letting me know about distorting text.
> 
> How are the Pines going to get Dipper back? Where did Bill take him? Wait to find out the answers to these questions and more!
> 
> TIZKKORMT SLLP


	16. Shooting Star and Her Square

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Stan twins form a plan to get Dipper back, and finally end their decades long nightmare. Tad and Mabel are left with one half of the task which may arguably be the more dangerous part of the plan. Mabel blames herself for the current situation her brother was likely in. The purple demon has his own thoughts on what they will find. It's up to Tad to keep his Charge's hopes up. The journey to finding Dipper does not go as smoothly as any of them had hoped. Tad knew he wouldn't be the only one sensing his brother's return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you speculating on Tad's thoughts, here is a glimpse. We're centering on Mabel and him for this chapter. You also may end up further disliking the Stan twins. There is an OC demon making an entrance, but he won't be staying long. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Warnings: violence, Mabel angst (Tad makes it better)
> 
> If you feel I missed any just let me know.

 

Violet eyes watched the familiar form of Stanford Pines slowly walk to the exact spot the youngest of the Pines family had recently been in.  There was a faint scorch mark on the floor in the shape of a triangle.  Stanley returned to the room with his trusted cane.  The man threw a specialized glove to his twin.  Tad Strange turned his focus to his Charge.  Mabel just stood there staring at where her brother had been with the golden demon that took him away from the Mystery Shack.

 

Tad could sense guilt radiating from the brunette.  He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  The gesture caused Mabel to turn around and bury her face into Tad’s suit.  The purple demon could feel the tears dampening the fabric.  He stroked a hand through her shoulder length hair.  They were all worried for Dipper.  The sound of the Stan twins making plans was muffled to his normally heightened hearing.  The sound of Mabel’s muffled cries was even fuzzy to Tad.  He knew her fears, though.

 

Mabel blamed herself for all of this.  She had wished for Dipper to have a demon as well.  She felt that that made this all her fault.  It couldn’t be further from the truth.  Tad gently pulled her closer in hopes that the gesture would get his point across.  They would get Dipper back.  Dipper would be safe.  The purple demon focused on keeping his lips from twitching at the memory of what had just happened.

 

_ “You seem to have upset my Pine Tree.” _

 

_ “...my Pine Tree.” _

 

The last words Bill had spoken echoed in Tad’s mind.  The golden demon had claimed Dipper as his own.  The nickname probably had something to do with their corresponding symbols.  There was warmth growing within Tad’s core at the thought.  Dipper’s declaration of wanting to keep his bond with Bill had ignited it.  No, Dipper did not just want the bond; he wanted to make it stronger.  He wanted to give Bill a chance.  And it seemed that Cipher planned to keep his human close as well.  It was more than Tad could hope for.  There was hope for his lost brother yet, perhaps.

 

These thoughts were pushed away for the time being.  They still needed to find the pair, and hopefully bring them both home.  Stanford and Stanley would be reluctant to include Bill of course.  Perhaps when they found Dipper it would be made clear that the golden demon did not mean the young man any harm.  What that meant for the rest of the Pines (and even himself) was yet to be determined.  Tad took a centering breath before focusing on the task at hand.

 

“We’ll get Dipper back, pumpkin,” Stanley said to reassure his beloved niece.

 

“And we’ll send that creature back where he belongs,” Stanford added in.  Tad kept his face neutral despite how the man’s comment made him feel.  It wasn’t like they actually could be rid of the other demon now.

 

“What,” Mabel trembled before sniffling.  She tried to appear more confident than she felt in that moment.  “What is the plan?”

 

“Listen carefully, Mabel,” Ford said with a gentle hand on her shoulder.  He looked unsure when he stared into her eyes.  Clearly the plan he came up with felt risky to him.  “Tad can track them better than Stanley or I could ever hope to.  That is why it will be up to the both of you to find Dipper and get him away from that monster.  Stanley and I will work on getting what we need to help vanquish him.”

 

“But Dipper wants to keep the bond,” Mabel found herself protesting.  She did not want to go against her brother’s wishes in this way.  There was still a sliver of hope that the new pair could work out.

 

“Dipper doesn’t understand,” Stanford said with a shake of his head.  “Sometimes the bond clouds one’s judgment.  It wants to be worked out, but that isn’t always possible.  Dipper won’t survive if it remains.”

 

Stanley shifted uncomfortably behind his twin.  Unlike Tad he was showing his unease about the other’s words far too openly.  He would agree that with this particular demon it was likely too risky.  It was just the way Stanford worded things sometimes that irked the slightly younger Stan.  He had his doubts, but it seemed like Dipper understood quite a bit.  He certainly did not like the thought that these bonds messed with one’s perception.  Stanley unconsciously gripped his cane a little tighter.

 

It had been so long since he felt the calming sensation of support and acceptance.  Stan no longer had the nerve endings to feel the phantom hand against his mark.  He didn’t even have his mark.  It hadn’t been there for three decades, and he still felt so lost without it.  At least his magic was still there.  Stanley did not want to imagine how much worse it would have been for him otherwise.  That was what they were planning to condemn Dipper to, though.  He shook his head at the thought.  They had to protect the kid.

 

“You find and protect your brother,” Stanley said to force his doubts away.  “We’re going to pay a certain twerp a visit and get Ford’s book back.”

 

“Take care of them, Tad,” Ford said to the purple demon with a worried expression.  He silently prayed that Strange could hold the other demon off until they got what they needed to hopefully end this nightmare once and for all.

 

“You know I will,” Tad replied with his usual calm exterior and a respectful nod.  He lightly squeezed Mabel’s shoulder at the influx of doubt.  She could handle this.  They could handle this.  Mabel would understand just as soon as they walked into the forest.

 

The Pines shared parting hugs even though they were sure to see one another again.  The involvement of their old triangular foe had Stanford and Stanley doubting the possibility of a truly happy outcome.  Ford’s glove sparked with energy as he clenched a fist.  They would have to deal with Gideon first.  It was arguably the easier part of this mission.  Gleeful had the advantage of Ford’s journal and his younger years, but he was nothing compared to an ages-old demon with a vengeance complex.  That problem would be left to Mabel and Tad, unfortunately.

 

Stanford hated putting his family in danger, but he saw no other option at that point.  Tad could track the monster that stole Dipper.  With Mabel’s help he could get the brunet away from the golden demon.  They would just have to hold out until the Stans got there with the journal.  With the bond severed it would be possible to take that nightmare down.  Ford would deal with the fall out concerning his nephew then, once that creature was destroyed for good.  He would believe they could get to Dipper first.  He would not allow that monster to take more from him and his family.  

 

The four parted ways after stepping off the porch.  Stanley and Stanford dashed into town with matching determination.  Tad kept Mabel close even before they reached the tree line.  It was darkening significantly.  The creatures in these woods would not hesitate to come after them even if they sensed Tad’s power.  He just hoped they would not have to expend much before reaching his former brother and Dipper.  While he was confident the human was safe, that did not extend to him or even Mabel.  There was a chance the youngest Pines could hold his demon back from attacking his sister.  Tad was all too aware that the golden demon would not pass up an opportunity to beat him into the dirt.  He had known that fate since forcing Bill Cipher from his physical being.

 

Mabel was cautious in her steps.  She was thankful for the hand Tad kept on her shoulder.  Her thoughts were more focused on what Dipper must be going through.  Was he running for his life?  Was he being tortured by the demon that was supposed to protect him?  Mabel couldn’t help dwelling on it, and the thought that she had caused this in some way.  Why couldn’t she have just been happy knowing he would learn magic alongside her?

 

“Dipper will be fine, Mabel,” Tad said to draw his Charge out of her guilt and worry.

 

“I know,” Mabel said with less confidence than she had hoped.  She couldn’t hide her doubts, especially not from her Guardian.  “We’ll reach him in time.  Dipper can hold out until we save him.”

 

“He won’t need saving,” Tad assured.  He glanced down at Mabel when she stuttered in a step.  Violet eyes met mocha.  Tad smiled to counter the confusion directed at him.  “Dipper will work this out.  Worst case he is disoriented from being teleported.”

 

“But Bi…,” Mabel caught herself before uttering the name.  She wanted to believe Tad.  She wanted to believe in Dipper.  It just didn’t seem possible with what her grunkles had said about this demon.  What even connected her brother to such a creature?

 

“He won’t hurt Dipper,” Tad said.  The confidence was plain on his face and in their bond.  It was the same assurance that let Mabel know he would protect her.  Tad pushed them on, continuing before Mable could question.  “Bill Cipher is a rather possessive demon.  He called Dipper his.  His Pine Tree.  We just have to trust that Dipper can convince him not to attack you.”

 

“What about you?” Mabel asked, catching onto Tad’s lack of consideration for himself.

 

“One step at a time, Shooting Star,” Tad replied.  He could believe that Bill would spare Mabel for Dipper’s sake.  Her safety and happiness were all that really mattered to the purple demon.  Granted she would not be happy to see him hurt, but he would be fine so long as she was.  “He will likely throw me around for a bit.  It’s best to let Bill work out some of his built up frustrations.  Better me than Stanley or Stanford.”

 

“How are we supposed to find him this time?” Mabel questioned to shift subjects.  She would rather not imagine her partner being thrown around like a ragdoll.  Seeing it once had been more than enough for her.  Mabel was determined not to let it happen again.

 

“I have an idea of where he would take Dipper,” Tad said.  He guided Mabel to turn right, still keeping close to his Charge.  It might take them a while to get there if he planned to avoid the more dangerous territories within the forest.  “There is a cave just outside the Multi-Bear’s claimed land.  The Manotaur had once tried to claim it for themselves, but they won’t set hoof near it now.  Not even plants dare to grow around it.”

 

“Why would they go to such an area?”

 

“When we began establishing ourselves in this world it was the center of our claimed home,” Tad informed.  He sighed at the unpleasant memories.  It was secluded, deserted even.  If Bill wished to hide and form a new plan that is likely where he would do it.  “There was infighting and attempts at a coup.  Demon blood still coats the land, I am sure.  It was the seat of Bill’s power ages ago.”

 

“The seat of his power, like he was king?” Mabel asked with clear surprise.  She understood that Bill Cipher was powerful even in demon circles, but no one had previously mentioned him leading the species.  What must it be like for Tad then?

 

“He was our leader,” Tad said.  He kept moving while his thoughts returned to that place eons in the past.  His eyes closed in an expression of painful remembrance.  “He led us against the ruling caste of the Nightmare Realm, and much later led us in our escape here.”

 

“Pyronica and Eight-Ball, too?”

 

“Yes,” Tad nodded.  He shook his head to refocus on the current mission.  He smiled down at Mabel with a promise.  “I will tell you more later.  When we have reunited with Dipper I will tell you both anything you wish to know.”

 

Mabel nodded her understanding.  She knew Dipper would be happy to have answers.  Maybe Bill had already answered some of his questions.  There were a lot of questions both of them had.  For now Mabel would focus on seeing her twin again.  If Tad was confident about the state they would find Dipper in then she would believe him.  Mabel just hoped they wouldn’t have to fight Bill again.  Whether he was paired with her brother or not Bill Cipher was a scary thing to face.

 

Tad hoped the Stan twins would be alright.  He knew they were capable, especially as a duo.  It was just the thought of everything Gideon possibly had at his disposal that gave the purple demon pause.  The Journal gave directions to some powerful artifacts hidden within these woods.  Even if the young Gleeful had not retrieved his amulet he could still pose quite a threat with the Journal alone.  Perhaps Dipper’s progress with Bill would be enough to gain them the golden demon’s help.  They could finally have that book away from Gideon.  The only issue would be convincing Stanford not to use it as he intended to.

 

The demon’s pointed ears twitched at the sound of a twig snapping.  He walked a bit closer to Mabel.  They were not alone on this path.  Tad knew they were clear of any creature’s territory.  Unless the beast had been that desperate for food it should not cross its lines.  He kept his Charge close while trying not to make his knowledge of their observer obvious.  Mabel at least picked up on Tad’s increased wariness.  A shift in the wind allowed the demon to smell their pursuer.  His eyes widened at the clear scent of another demon.  That would explain why they were not adhering to any territorial boundaries.  Tad struggled not to make his growing unease known.  He recognized this demon’s scent.

 

“Mabel,” Tad said lowly.  The demon should still be far enough away not to hear them.  “You have to listen carefully to me.  I am going to turn around, and in that moment I want you to run.  You run straight ahead until the trees break to an open field.  There will be a path to your left through the opposite end.  No matter what you keep going through there.”

 

“I don’t want to leave you,” Mabel quietly protested.  She gave her demon a determined look, despite the lingering fear in her bright eyes.

 

“I will be fine as long as you are,” Tad whispered.  The new demon was creeping closer.  They would pick up the lowered tones soon.  “After the trees end a second time you will find yourself at the foot of a high cliff.  Follow along to the right.  There will be a jagged path.  At its end is the cave we seek.  It is your choice to climb it or wait for me, though you will be safer with Dipper.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“Just stick to this plan,” Tad said.  His eyes darted to the side at the sound of another twig snapping.  “If he can convince Bill to follow bring them back this way to find me.  No matter what happens, what you feel, keep going.”

 

Tad swiftly turned as he said he would.  Mabel paused rather than breaking into a run.  The purple demon clenched a fist and summoned an orange flame.  He rushed their unwelcomed guest.  A burning punch collided with the molten looking creature’s face.  They were one of the few demons remaining that refused to take a passing human form.  Tad made sure to keep himself positioned between the other demon and Mabel.

 

“Tad Strange,” the lava demon said with a bubbling sound to his voice.  The flaring red patches that served as his eyes narrowed, all seven of them.  The molten rock of his body shifted around.  “I know he’s awake.  You can’t stop me from having my revenge!”

 

“Milton,” Tad greeted calmly.  He doubted the other would continue any small talk for long.  All that mattered was buying Mabel time to run.  “We both know you won’t get it whether I stand in the way or not.”

 

“Ha, you think I’m falling for that?” Milton laughed without any real humor.  He flung one of his eight molten limbs forward to knock Tad back.  The purple demon summoned a shield to block the attack.  The limb returned after the deflection.  “You of all of us know his crimes!  Why do you defend him still?  You, who helped bury his corpse and cast him out.  What sort of duty do you still owe him?”

 

“I owe him nothing,” Tad said, though they both knew he felt differently.  “I just don’t see a reason to lead another to the awaiting slaughter.  You will not last against him.  Turn back now, and you will surely survive.”

 

“You think I’m afraid of you?” Milton bellowed.  “You think I am afraid of Cipher?”

 

Tad couldn’t help the thought that the other should be very afraid of the golden demon.  Perhaps it had been too long, and Milton had forgotten what Bill Cipher was capable of.  Many of the others probably had.  No doubt others would come after feeling the golden demon’s return.  Strange did not truly care.  The lava demon sent more molten limbs at Tad.  His shields held against the assault, but he did notice himself being pushed backwards.  He just had to buy Mabel time.

 

A blast of purple magic struck Milton’s side.  It caused him to stumble back in more surprise than pain.  It had hurt though, just not enough to matter.  Tad turned his head to focus on the direction the attack had come from.  Mabel stood there with more magic charging between her hands.  The determination shining in her eyes proved she had no plans to run.  She would not abandon her partner regardless of his wishes.  Tad did not know whether he was more impressed by her stubbornness or frustrated with it.  He really should have known better than to think she would back down so easily.  Mabel was a Pines through and through.

 

Mabel sent her magic out to deflect an incoming limb of fire and rock.  She managed to avoid the larger parts that broke off, but a spark managed to catch her sleeve.  It left a superficial burn that was easily healed by the close placement of her symbol.  It was the damage to her prized sweater that set Mabel off.  It was her shooting star sweater.  The fabulous pink that went with the purple turtleneck Tad wore around the Mystery Shack.  Mabel would be able to fix it, but that did not mean this demon would be getting off easy.

 

The molten rock demon found himself being attacked from two fronts.  It took him a moment to adjust, but Mabel and Tad were quickly forced back on the defensive.  Milton’s seven eyes could work independently and move along his shifting body.  Tad hissed when he tried to deflect one of the other’s flying limbs.  They could not let this demon’s skin touch them without suffering injury.  Mabel was having a slightly easier time by keeping her magic concentrated at her fists.  She learned quickly at least.  Their initial plan of keeping Milton pinned between them was proving detrimental, however.

 

Tad was the first to realize they needed to be closer to watch each other’s back.  He grit his teeth at the thought of leaving Mabel exposed as she was.  She was holding her own, but it couldn’t last.  He had to get her out of there quickly.  Tad did not have the capabilities to take on a demon like Milton.  The molten rock skin the other possessed was too hot to touch, and avoiding the flying limbs was becoming difficult.  Luckily Strange knew who could take Milton down, but they would have to get to him first.  Violet eyes narrowed as Tad made his decision.  He rushed Milton before vaulting at the last second to jump over him.  Tad managed to dodge most of the limbs, but one struck his side just before landing in front of Mabel.

 

The pain was bearable so long as he could keep his Charge safe.  Mabel darted over to her partner.  Her concern for Tad morphed into anger at their opponent.  Tad stood in time to see Milton sending another attack their way.  His arm tingled just before a purple light surrounded him.  It was disorienting at first.  Tad Strange felt smaller somehow.  His vision was off as well.  Mabel was holding him, though.  Tad fit securely in her hand.  It came to him a second later.  He had attained a weapon form.  Was he a gun?

 

Mabel stared at her changed partner for a few minutes.  His weight felt so natural to her.  He was sleek and mostly purple.  A darker violet square rested just above the trigger.  The brunette didn’t have much more time to study Tad’s shift.  She aimed and pressed the release, launching a hook from the square hole of the barrel.  It hit Milton dead center in the head.  The demon stumbled back before falling to the ground.  He groaned in pain.  Mabel hit the button again to recall the rope and projectile.  Her eyes gleamed in fascination.  She had wanted a means to attack the demon from long range, and here it was.  It could also help them to get to her brother faster.

 

“Grappling hook,” Mabel declared before launching it up into the trees.  She allowed Tad’s form to pull her up to a branch.

 

Judging by the sounds down below Milton was recovering from their attack.  It did not take him long to spot them despite the trees and darkness.  Tad urged Mabel to keep moving.  She obeyed this time, swinging from one tree to the next.  The sensation of her Guardian’s steadying assurance filled her.  The sounds of destruction their enemy caused continued to follow the pair.  Mabel moved that much faster.  She would make it to Dipper and together they would stop this demon.  The Mystery Twins would officially unite to protect Gravity Falls.  Mabel and Tad just had to find the other half of their team.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GRAPPLING HOOK! Mabel should never be without it! Let me know your thoughts, and any spelling/grammatical errors you find. 
> 
> To give you an idea for one of the warnings in the next chapter: 
> 
> Gszg, gll, rh vwryov, yfg rh rg nlizo?


	17. The Triangle and His Pine Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is stuck in the middle of the forest with Bill. He knew convincing his family to give the demon a chance would be tough. Dipper just didn't think his own Guardian would ruin it by attacking his great uncle. Is it truly possible for the Pines family to get along with Bill Cipher? Does the demon even want Dipper as his Charge? Not every pair can coexist after all. They have a lot of issues and doubts to struggle through if this partnership is going to work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I am posting between 2 and 5 am.  
> This chapter is all over the place. I'm still working out how to pace properly. So, heads up that Dipper's angst levels are going to hit a new high here. Meaning he has a panic attack. I'm describing it from his point of view, so some parts might be a little confusing as to what's going on. Just know that Bill helps him through it, in his own (unhealthy) way.
> 
> Aside from that, warnings: BILL, possessive behavior, tentacles, insecurities, trust issues, OC death, cannibalism, mentions of vomit  
> If I missed anything just let me know.
> 
> Italics represent thoughts/telepathic communication

 

 

Dipper rested his head against the bark of a tree as he slowly got control of his breathing.  He tried to swallow around the aftertaste of vomit.  At least he no longer felt as nauseous.  The brunet barely caught the distant words of the demon accompanying him.  He did pick up something about getting used to teleportation.  Dipper had read in the numerous notes from his great uncle that human bodies were not meant for such travel, but could acclimate to it after some dozen experiences.  He would really rather not go through the same thing each time until then.

 

The soft press of a tendril against his back helped to sooth Dipper.  Perhaps the human had been too hasty in his struggles to put distance between himself and the demon that had attacked his family.  Dipper could feel concern radiating from the base of his neck.  Bill was at least respecting his wishes for some space at the moment.  Still, the image of Great Uncle Ford’s terrified face was etched into Dipper’s mind.  He may still be in the dark about the past Bill shared with his family, but there was no denying that whatever the demon had done had to be horrific to get that reaction from a man like Stanford Pines.  There was a growing thought reminding Dipper that he was now alone with this creature.  He was partnered with this monster.

 

“Pine Tree?” Bill asked with clear concern.

 

The high pitched voice drew Dipper out of his spiraling dread.  His breath came the slightest bit easier.  There was no doubt that Bill Cipher was dangerous.  Dipper was just the least likely to know that danger first hand.  He slowly straightened up and stepped back from the tree trunk.  The tentacle pulled back to give Dipper room to move.  Bill himself remained a few feet from his human for the time being.  Once his confidence returned Dipper clenched a fist before turning to the golden demon.

 

“We had a deal, Bill,” he said angrily.  At least the fear he had been steadily gaining seemed to subside.  “You tried to kill my great uncle!”

 

“It was a warning shot,” Bill stated simply.  He walked closer to the human with measured steps.

 

Dipper held his ground despite the inklings of his fear resurfacing.  The demon’s long legs reminded him of watching a crane wade through the water before striking at a fish.  Dipper couldn’t help empathizing with the fish in that moment.  Bill stopped and lowered himself to a crouch before his human.  A gloved claw reached out to lightly tap at Dipper’s birthmark.  Bill’s single golden eye narrowed slightly.

 

“Sixer has no right to force these thoughts into your head,” Bill said.  It was obvious the demon did not like the eldest Pines.  Dipper swallowed, not entirely sure what thoughts Bill was referring to.  Was it the doubt it brought up concerning their bond?  “You are mine, Pine Tree.  No other opinion matters.”

 

“That doesn’t give you a right to kill my family,” Dipper said as he tried to ignore Bill’s words.  He couldn’t deny that the demon’s possessiveness made him feel, well, something.  Perhaps it was the belief that he was important to Bill.  Dipper just didn’t know what to call this feeling it ignited within him.

 

“Again, it was a warning shot,” Bill shrugged.  His claw moved to rest just below Dipper’s chin to keep the brunet’s focus.  “If I wanted…”  The demon paused as he caught his near lie.  “If I had plans to kill him Sixer would be quite dead now.”

 

“So you admit to wanting him dead,” Dipper stated more than questioned.  It had been made clear that this demon and his family did not get along.  All the same to hear Bill admit to wanting the death of the other Pines was anything but good.  How was Dipper supposed to protect his family from his own Guardian?

 

“Sure,” Bill said with more enthusiasm than such a declaration should ever have.  The blond seemed to ponder a moment after catching onto his human’s discomfort.  “I may want him dead even more now.  We have a deal, though, like you said.  Just don’t expect me to pass up the opportunity to make the others miserable.”

 

“If that is the best option I really don’t have a choice, do I?” Dipper figured.  All he really got out of this talk was that Bill would spare the other Pines, but likely antagonize them.  It seemed he was back to square one of convincing his family to give his Guardian a chance.  Dipper could guess it would only be harder to do this time around.

 

“Well, no one said we had to go back,” Bill suggested with a sly look.  He stood with a fluid motion.  The demon turned away from the nearby clearing.  “There’s a nice little place I once called home close by.  We could always stay there and never see the likes of Sixer again.”

 

“No, Bill,” Dipper said with no room for argument.  He turned away before he could see the demon deflate.  “We have to go back and fix this.  It’s not going to be easy, but we at least have to show them you aren’t dangerous.”

 

“Oh, but I am dangerous, Pine Tree,” Bill said with a flash of fang and claw.  His golden eye gleamed in the night.  The broken void where his other eye should be seemed that much darker.  Three tentacles curled around Dipper and pulled him in.  Bill practically draped himself over his human the second Dipper’s back made contact with his front.  The human shivered as warm breath ghosted over his ear.  “Just not to you.”

 

Dipper could feel his face heat up from their close contact.  He struggled against the tentacles’ hold.  Bill allowed him to escape.  Mocha eyes turned to the gleaming mouth and eye for only a second before quickly looking elsewhere.  The demon looked too much like a predator toying with their prey.  Dipper tried to shake the lingering sensation of Bill being pressed up against him.  They had to focus on getting back to The Shack, preferably without teleporting.  Dipper would worry about the flirtatious nature of his demon and his own body’s reactions much later.

 

“We have to go back,” Dipper said once he was completely free of his demon’s grasp.  Mabel was probably worried sick.  Not to mention his grunkles were either arguing or working on that method to break his bond with Bill.  “Please, just try to act civil with them.”

 

It was then that Dipper took notice of the clearing they were in.  He had been around the area before.  Gideon had been here with his mind controlled minions.  The brunet knew it was hopeless to try remembering the path he took that led him to Bill.  He had been too concerned with avoiding those Killbillies to pay attention to his exact direction.  He wondered if Bill could recall where exactly he had been trapped for years.  Bill probably never wanted to see that specific area ever again.

 

“So what’s the plan, sapling?” Bill asked, suddenly floating upside down in front of Dipper.

 

The brunet flinched back from the sudden invasion of his personal space.  His wide eyes took in the smiling face of his demon.  Bill was far too pleased in Dipper’s opinion.  The demon righted himself eventually.  His mouth continued to be twisted into that familiar wide grin.  Dipper’s face hurt just seeing the expression on the other.  Again he found himself questioning how he was paired with this demon.  Bill Cipher certainly didn’t seem like Guardian material.  Granted Dipper did not know the demon all that well, yet.

 

Perhaps the golden demon fit the title of Guardian better than one would think.  He was volatile at best.  Bill was violent and possessive with perhaps a bit of spontaneity, or more likely insanity.  That possessiveness did lend into protectiveness, though.  At least to some extent.  He had proven himself capable and even willing to defend Dipper when needed.  Surely Bill cared about his emotional state just as much as his physical well being.  Bill Cipher was dangerous, as he had admitted, just not to Dipper Pines.  Perhaps there was a way for the brunet to convince his demon not to be as dangerous towards his family.  Bill had already proven the capability of acting somewhat civil with Wendy.  Why couldn’t that extend to Stanford and Stanley Pines?  Why couldn’t it extend to Mabel and Tad?  Dipper just had to find a way to convince Bill.

 

“We’re going back to the Mystery Shack,” Dipper said after gathering his confidence.

 

“I can understand why you’d call it that,” Bill said with a small nod.  His legs folded under him as he continued to defy gravity.  His six tendrils reached the ground, however.  Their positioning made Dipper wonder if his demon was actually using them to balance.  Bill smirked at his human before leaning into the brunet’s space again.  “It is quite a mystery how it’s remained intact all this time!”

 

The following laughter from the demon did not seem to amuse the young Pines.  The Stan twins had done their best to keep the place going.  Soos was a decent repairman.  Sure there could be better, but Grunkle Stan wasn’t about to pay for the upkeep.  Besides, Ford made sure everything worked properly where Soos wasn’t much help.  The man had taken them off-grid even.  If not for his advancements in combining electricity and magical sources they would be shelling out hundreds to overpriced companies.  Hell, Stanley’s car ran on some magical power converter.  It was the Pines’ livelihood, and here Dipper’s demon was mocking it.

 

“The Shack holds up just fine,” Dipper defended.  He crossed his arms and turned from his partner, intent on figuring out the way back home.

 

“Yeesh, come on, Pine Tree,” Bill said while once again floating up to his human’s side.  He hovered on his back with a more human-like smile.  “It was just a joke.  The place just needs better decor.  Old Sixer just needs to get my eyes out of storage.  Then the place will look amazing!”

 

“Wait, you have other eyes that my great uncle took?” Dipper questioned.  He looked rather appalled by the notion.  Surely Ford wouldn’t do that no matter how he felt about the demon.

 

“What?” Bill asked with a moment of confusion.  He laughed when he caught on to his wording.  “No, Pine Tree.  My eyes, or windows, are a means for me to look at different areas.  It just takes a bit of concentration and I can look through any depiction of myself.  Just draw a triangle with an eye inside and I can see whatever is around it!”

 

“Like the window in my room,” Dipper whispered in realization.

 

Does that mean that Bill had been watching him all this time?  What must that have been like for the demon?  If he had been able to see Dipper there, but unable to communicate.  It must have been maddening.  Granted Bill Cipher didn’t seem to be all there at times.  Dipper’s eyes widened when he recalled the dreams.  Bill must have been trying to get his attention with those.  That must have further frustrated him when Dipper didn’t seem to understand.  Then the pull into the forest must have been Bill as well, or just their bond trying to get the only mobile partner closer.

 

Dipper felt like an idiot not to have realized it.  Many Charges reported feeling a pull towards where their demonic partner was; Mabel had felt it.  It was the pull that led a Guardian to their human charge for centuries.  He really must be dense to have not noticed it, to have not made the connection.  It was simply the fact that the symbol never appeared before that made the whole notion seem impossible.  The force that kept Bill imprisoned must have been strong to interfere with an intended bond.  It had weakened when the distance between them shortened, though.  The second Dipper had entered Gravity Falls their bond had finally manifested.  Dipper groaned and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.  He was truly dense to have not realized this.  His eyes widened with further realization.

 

Great Uncle Ford had obviously kept much from him.  He wasn’t the only one, of course.  There was still plenty of information in the books the man did provide Dipper.  The young twins had been drilled back in school about the dangers of an unrequited bond.  If a demon rejected their Charge the human was killed.  Consequently the demon became feral afterwards.  Stanford had described that the Guardian had essentially lost a part of themselves in the process.  It made it harder to understand why a demon would reject such a bond, but (as Tad apparently described it) some demons just did not like the thought of being tied down to a human.  That made the fact that many of these cases of turning feral occurred up to a year after establishing a bond even more confusing.  They could only hope that Dipper didn’t join those particular Charges.

 

Further into the research, however, Stanford had talked about strengthened bonds.  When a human and demon were truly able to connect the demon could be turned into a weapon.  Typically this took the form of a sword, but there were accounts of other weapons.  This only happened after the pair met and got to know one another better.  What had Dipper done then?  He had released Bill from his prison, and automatically the golden demon had become a shield when Dipper needed to defend against his pursuers.  If a bond needed to be established and strengthened beforehand, how had they pulled that off?

 

“Triangle to Pine Tree,” Bill yelled to get the kid’s attention.  Dipper jumped at the sudden closeness and loudness.  He blinked at his partner.  “You space out a lot, kid.”  Bill drifted back and let his feet touch the ground.  Dipper let his eyes look up at his demon rather than crane his neck too much.  “As thrilling as hearing about Sixer’s research is, why don’t we head home and discuss more there?”

 

“You...you heard my thoughts?” Dipper asked with a squeak to his voice.  His face reddened immediately after realizing this.

 

“Bits,” Bill confessed.  “It’s more emotion than actual words I’m picking up. Weird.” He looked at Dipper and then shrugged.  “From what I recall I normally have to touch another to pick up any of that.  Then again it has been a while since I had my body.”

 

“Okay,” Dipper said as he tried to collect his thoughts.  Obviously this was his ticket to answering so many questions, but it just didn’t feel like the time.  It wasn’t like the answers were going anywhere, so long as Bill remained close.  Dipper focused on his demon after composing himself.  “There is clearly a lot that needs to be discussed, but for now we need to return to my family.”

 

The expression on Bill’s face revealed that he had little interest in seeing the other Pines again.  Dipper silently pleaded to whatever force was listening for this second time to go smoother than the first.  Surely Bill could be in the same room as the Stan twins without someone being horribly injured.  He could be civil for Dipper at least.  The brunet hoped so.  He just needed to keep a cool and level head.  Bill gave no verbal protest.  That did not mean he would cooperate once they were back at the Mystery Shack, however.  Dipper found himself running through all the worst possible scenarios.

 

Dipper didn’t want to lose his magic.  He didn’t want Bill to go back to being a statue, or worse go feral.  No, Bill would never harm Dipper.  The demon just didn’t care for the other Pines family members.  What if it was all a ruse?  What if Bill was just waiting for Dipper to be completely unguarded?  How much more unguarded could he get?  No, Bill would have offed him already if that was the case.  What if the demon was just toying with Dipper?  Similar to a cat playing with a disoriented mouse or bird before finally eating it.  What if Bill was just waiting for Dipper to lose his mind wondering about all this?  Would he even see it coming?  Would his family ever find his body?  How long would it be before they joined him?

 

The brunet forced his eyes shut.  It did nothing to counter the flooding doubts.  The world around him faded away as his thoughts continued to spiral.  His hands gripped his hair tightly, but the pain was barely distracting.  Dipper must have lowered to the ground at some point.  He crouched into a ball as the only sound besides his own thoughts was the rushing of blood through his ears.  Was he projecting his fears out loud?  Dipper didn’t know, didn’t want to know honestly.  This had to be some kind of nightmare.  He had to wake up.  How did he wake up?  Dipper gulped in air in a gasp when something (someone) grabbed him by the neck.

 

The feeling of bark scraping his back through his shirt became a focal point.  Dipper allowed his thoughts to center around that.  Then the sensation of a hand at the back of his neck registered.  The brunet refused to open his eyes.  He shut them tighter at the prick of claws against his skin.  It was not enough to draw blood.  In fact the scrape of nails was almost gentle against his flesh.  Something urged Dipper to open his eyes, but he struggled against it.  He shook his head as best he could with the firm grip holding him up.  A whimper escaped him against his will.  How pathetic must he look?  Was he crying?

 

The claws at his nape touched the symbol emblazoned on his skin.  Dipper could feel his breath come a little easier.  The grip holding him up felt more supportive than restricting then.  There was a light wave of calm spreading through his being from the back of his neck.  Dipper wasn’t sure if he just wanted to fall back to the ground, or curl into the body he could sense in front of him.  That felt like the thing to do.  The hand at his neck loosened to allow further movement.  It was enough for Dipper to lean forward.  He hoped it was enough to convey his need for more contact.  The clawed fingers moved up into his hair.  A sound came out of Dipper between a choked sob and a pitiful whine.

 

Dipper managed to press his face into some soft fabric of clothing.  He briefly worried about ruining the other’s attire, but the thought was quickly banished.  The sharp fingers carefully massaged his scalp.  It was soothing, as was the gentle rubbing of his back.  Dipper allowed himself to be held however his companion wished.  His feet did not touch the ground.  He just let them dangle uselessly.  Something wrapped around his legs just below his knees.  Dipper tried to focus on the sensations rather than worry about what was causing them.  He exhaled against the shoulder his face was pressed into.

 

The want to open his eyes nudged gently at his mind, but Dipper just pressed further into the fabric in front of him.  The soothing rubbing at his back continued.  One of the limbs, arms, whatever they were that did not seem to possess hands, pulled back the collar of his shirt.  Dipper felt his unease return for just a moment before the smooth tentacle found that spot on his neck.  He breathed out once more, the tension being expelled from his body along with it.

 

“...mine,” Bill’s voice reached him with a low growl.  The words slowly registered to the brunet.  He could feel them slipping in his head as well as beside his right ear.  “I’m not letting you go, Pine Tree.  I won’t have anything tearing you from me.  You are my human, my sapling, my wonderful guiding constellation.”

 

Dipper inhaled sharply as the claws in his hair tightened their hold.  His head was forced back.  He found himself unable to keep his eyes closed.  Bill’s golden eye glowed in the darkness, seeming to illuminate his sharp features.  Despite the thought that he probably should be afraid in that moment, Dipper could not look away from his demon.  He could feel the possessiveness in Bill’s words.  Their connection, their bond allowed it to be projected directly into Dipper’s mind almost.  There was something underlying it, however.  There was something else Bill was trying to get his human to understand, but perhaps not consciously.  Dipper could feel his doubts swirling, but they weren’t alone.  It was hard to distinguish whose thoughts belonged to whom in that moment.

 

_ Don’t hurt me _

 

_ Don’t leave me _

 

_ Trust me _

 

_ Can’t trust anyone _

 

_ Listen to me _

 

_ Don’t be scared _

 

“You are mine, Dipper Pines.”

 

Bill stared at his human with a conviction that was almost intimidating to the brunet.  There were too many unspoken words within that statement.  Dipper found it hard to breathe, but for quite different reasons than before.  The fear that had seemed so overwhelming only moments ago was replaced by something else entirely.  Dipper couldn’t look away from the glowing yellow that seemed to be their only source of light besides the stars above.  It was as if untold power was barely held in check within that eye.   Dipper was alone, pressed against a demon capable of vast destruction in so many different ways.  He knew this, could recognize it, and yet he did not feel that crippling fear any longer.  He had no reason to be afraid.

 

It was then that Dipper truly took notice of their closeness.  He was flush up against the demon in a golden suit vest and white button up shirt.  Dipper could feel the fabric of Bill’s black slacks against his short clad legs.  The parts that weren’t wrapped in the demon’s black tendril at least.  Dipper had his hands placed on Bill’s chest.  It was almost as if he was subconsciously keeping that smidge of distance between them.  The gloved claw in his hair was keenly felt in that moment.  It continued to hold Dipper’s head back to look at him face to face.  Dipper could feel the warmth of Bill’s breath against his face.  He wondered if the demon could feel the same from him.  The brunet felt incapable of movement.  It was unclear if he was reluctant to break this spell, or feared it igniting something else.  Bill seemed to catch on soon after, pulling away and allowing Dipper to touch the ground once more.  Dipper found himself almost disappointed by the turn of events.

 

The demon turned his attention to the other side of the clearing.  Dipper looked up from his feet at the sound of falling trees.  Something was coming their way.  Bill stood slightly in front of the brunet.  His gloved hand extended to keep the human from stepping forward.  The blue flames around his other arm ignited with a roar.  Bill kept a neutral expression as he waited for their company to reveal itself.  Dipper could feel a giddiness that was not his own despite this.  Clearly Bill was itching to tear something apart, but his human’s safety was more important in that moment.  Something broke through the trees, a human in a pink sweater that certainly looked like she had been running through the forest.

 

“Mabel,” Dipper called to his twin.  He tried to get around Bill, but his demon grabbed onto his shoulder.  Dipper was about to protest when something else crashed through the trees.

 

Dipper’s eyes widened at the sight of the unknown demon.  It was made of some kind of rock, by his judgment.  Mabel turned and aimed something in her hand at the beast.  A hook on a rope shot out and struck one of the demon’s front legs.  The creature appeared to have eight of them.  It slowed the demon down, but it roared and continued charging at Mabel.  Where was Tad?  Dipper tried to ignore the sinking feeling of worry.  He had to protect his sister.  He struggled to break away from Bill.  

 

One of the rogue demon’s limbs shot forward.  Dipper managed to position himself in front of Mabel.  He barely registered her calling his name.  His neck burned just before a golden light nearly blinded him.  The foreign limb bounced off the shield suddenly on Dipper’s arm.  The spikes had clearly injured the new demon.  Dipper and Mabel both stared in awe.  This was the first time the brunette had seen her brother summon his demon’s weapon form.  The burning at Dipper’s neck subsided, but he could feel his Guardian’s annoyance.  The human realized his quick actions were rather foolish.  He gave his partner an embarrassed smile.

 

“Don’t go trying to get yourself killed on me, Pine Tree,” Bill said.  Dipper nodded, and then glanced to his twin to make sure she was okay.

 

“Thanks, broseph,” Mabel said, sounding a bit out of breath.  She lifted her arms to steady the grappling hook.  “What’s the plan, Tad?”

 

“Tad?” Dipper questioned.  His attention went to the odd weapon in Mabel’s grasp.

 

“We managed my weapon form when fighting Milton,” the grappling hook said.  “Mabel’s quick thinking allowed me to become quite versatile.  We don’t have much left in us, sadly.  First time transformations tend to take more out of a human.  Nice work on the shield design by the way.”

 

“Actually this is our second use of it,” Dipper confessed a bit sheepishly.  “When I set Bill free he helped me fend off some Killbillies.”

 

“You managed a weapon form that quickly?” Tad sounded quite shocked.

 

“Can it, Square,” Bill said.  He clearly had no interest in discussing the details with the other demon.  Dipper frowned at the thought.  They would have to figure out some way to get the demons to at least tolerate each other.  That was an issue for another time, though.  “Shields up, sapling!”

 

Dipper lifted the golden shield to block another blow.  He was forced back slightly.  The rogue demon growled before trying to circle the group.  Dipper kept Bill positioned to take any other attacks.  He couldn’t let this demon get behind them.  He certainly wasn’t going to allow them to get his sister.  Mabel positioned herself to aim Tad over Dipper’s shoulder.  She would duck down the second Milton fired his own attack, but until then she would get ready for her own opening.  She took the time to warn the other pair of the demon’s burning flesh.

 

“You’ve certainly fallen far, Cipher,” Milton taunted.  It was obvious he was hoping to make himself an opening.  “Tad I could sort of understand, but seeing you become a human pet is rather entertaining.  What scraps does he give you for good behavior?”

 

“Throw me,” Bill growled to his human.

 

“What?” Dipper asked.  He could feel Bill’s anger growing.  Surely his partner wasn’t going to let this rogue get to him that easily.  Dipper had never been good at throwing things long distance.  “Bill, I’m not exactly Frisbee Champion material.”

 

“Then put your magic into it,” Bill snapped.  “Just aim for his cretinous head!”

 

The brunet gulped at the growing rage rolling off his demon.  Mabel stepped back in case her brother needed more room.  Dipper adjusted his hold on Bill to throw the golden shield.  The demon made quite a large frisbee.  With a calming breath the human aimed and launched his demon as best he could.  His magic encircled the sudden projectile.  Blue flames soon mixed with the yellow magic.  Bill vanished, leaving all four spectators confused.  The shield turned frisbee reappeared a millimeter from Milton’s face, smacking into the demon before vanishing again.

 

Mabel let out an enthusiastic whoop.  The rogue demon fell to the ground.  Bill’s weapon form glowed as he turned back.  His flame encased hand slammed down on Milton’s back.  He let his golden Oxfords land on the other demon a second later.  Milton groaned, and then shrieked in pain as Bill drove his magical flames between the molten cracks of the other’s outer layer.  The sound had any remaining creature near the area fleeing.  No doubt the agonized sound reached the town as it continued.  Mabel’s previous enthusiasm drained away at the clear torture.

 

Tad shifted back to his human appearance.  He grabbed his Charge and held her against his chest.  He was trying to shield her from the sight.  It had been a long time since he had witnessed Cipher drain away another’s power in such a way, but it was surely not long enough.  Strange tried to convince Dipper to turn away.  Either the brunet did not hear him, or simply chose to ignore his words.  To Tad’s horror the human took a step towards the scene.  Milton’s form flickered before becoming just a fist sized black rock with slowly blinking eyes.  The demon was clearly beaten.  Bill picked the helpless thing up and stared down at Milton with a blank expression.

 

“Bill?” Dipper questioned.  His demon did not turn to him, but somehow he felt the other was waiting for him to go on.  The brunet cautiously took a step closer.  Bill’s claws encompassed his captured foe and began to squeeze.  “Bill, wait!  He’s beaten!  There are authorities that deal with rogues.  We can let them handle him from here.”

 

Milton’s seven eyes slowly drifted in Dipper’s direction.  Clearly the beaten demon was too weak to put up any more of a fight.  Tad held onto Mabel a bit tighter.  He could feel the other demon’s pleading gaze.  He held his tongue, too afraid that his input would seal the other’s fate.  Bill at least spared Dipper a glance.  The look in his golden eye was unreadable to the mortal.  Dipper forced down his uncertainty and walked closer to his demon.  At least Bill had stopped squeezing the other demon.  Milton kept watching the approaching human with a sense of relief.  This mortal would spare him.  Cipher was bound to their whims, at least.

 

“Bill?” Dipper asked again when the other turned his attention back to the demon in his grasp.

 

That golden eye glowed more brightly for just a moment.  The pupil turned red, taking the place of the golden light while the rest of Bill’s eye turned black.  His lips twitched upwards.  Sharp fangs revealed themselves inside a smiling mouth.  Tad pulled Mabel to take a step away before turning his face away from the scene.  Dipper tried to get his partner to look at him again.  He could feel dread rising up in his throat like bile.  Milton shivered in Bill’s hold.  The golden demon tossed the rock into the air and caught him between the claws of his forefinger and thumb.  Bill’s arm stretched up to hold the other demon above his face.  Milton struggled then.  He tried to plead with the greater demon.

 

“Guess I won’t be getting those scraps,” Bill whispered up at the helpless rock.  His unhinged smile left as he opened his mouth as far as his jaws would allow.  His claws released Milton.  The rock demon fell into the awaiting, fang rimmed depths with a scream.

 

Bill closed his eye as he allowed the influx of power to wash over him.  His golden tongue flicked out to lick his lips as if savoring the flavor.  When his eye opened again it was back to the glowing gold.  He turned his attention back to Dipper then.  His usually wide grin was small and hesitant.  Bill anticipated his human flinching after witnessing such a sight.  Dipper seemed frozen in place, unsure exactly what to think of the fact that his demon just ate another.  Clearly Milton’s words had gotten to Bill a lot.  If Dipper allowed himself to move he was afraid it would be to run.  Surely he wasn’t still afraid of his own demon.  Bill… Bill wouldn’t hurt him.

 

_ Would he? _

 

_ Never _

 

Dipper stiffened when Bill suddenly teleported directly in front of him.  He fought not to flinch from the unexpected closeness.  One of the demon’s tendrils slipped up under Dipper’s shirt.  The brunet wasn’t sure if he shivered from the sensation, or from the cold night air hitting his lower back.  The tentacle gently rubbed at the symbol that was meant to mark him as Bill’s Charge.  Dipper felt the tension flooding out of him.  Bill’s left arm wrapped around his back to keep Dipper upright.  He inhaled his human’s scent, managing to relax at the lack of fear.  He lowered his head until his mouth was level with Dipper’s ear.

 

“M̭̩̻̦̝̣̗̝̱̣̊͑̀͆͒ͤ͑́͂͋̐̋̑̓̀̚͢i̛̤̱͓̙͙͂̂̄̚n̈̉ͧ̽̽ͥͮ̈́̽͑ͤͤͥ͗́͞҉̴̛͍̱̪͎̦e̸̢̜̺̼̖̫͔͉̩̦̻̝̥̬͇̒̉ͥ͛͋ͣͧ̏ͤ̆̓̃͠ͅͅ,” Bill growled.  Dipper could feel the sound rumble through the other’s chest.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Dipper scarred for life yet? How about Mabel? At least in this AU they aren't going through all this at 12-13. Let me know your thoughts, or just leave kudos/comment. The next chapter will be up next Saturday.
> 
> z xlmuilmgzgrlm yvgdvvm wvizmtvw ulixvh


	18. The Worst Guard Dogs Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stanford and Stanley attempt to procure the former's journal from their young nemesis, Gideon. Meanwhile the younger twins and their demons try to relax in one another's presence. It doesn't take long for the Pines family to reunite. Unfortunately there is going to be a lot of cleaning up to do, and even more to sort out soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter posted at around 2 am. That's just how it's going to be I guess. This chapter is all over the place, and the next one won't be much better. Also more potential scaring, YA! Before further warnings, I am letting you know now that Bill does not like Mabel in this. If that wasn't clear from their first encounter. At least not right now, or any time soon.
> 
> Warnings: BILL, swearing, old men running for their lives, blood, tentacles, deadly tentacles, gore, creature death. Did I mention Bill? Because seriously, BILL!

 

 

Stanley ducked into a bush with his brother close behind.  He allowed Ford to peer out, given that he had the better eyesight of the two.  The other quickly returned to a hiding position.  Stan did not like the look on his brother’s face.  Were there still people milling about at this hour?  It wasn’t likely, especially in this part of town.  The folk here had always been the “early to rise” nonsense type.  Perhaps the Gleefuls had gotten themselves a guard dog or something.  Stan knew how to deal with those easily.  He peeked out once Stanford was settled back in.

 

There didn’t seem to be much within the picket fence.  There were no lights on that Stanley could see.  His eyes scanned around until they picked up a slight movement.  Stan suppressed a groan at the thought that Bud truly had gotten a dog.  Zeroing in on the source of movement revealed that it was certainly no dog.  The creature was bipedal.  It seemed to be hopping about, and there were more.  Stan quickly counted four not quite human sized creatures.  They had a human structure, though.  Stanley almost shouted in surprise when his brother pulled him back in.  He glared at the other man.

 

“This is going to be harder than I thought,” Stanford whispered.  He seemed nervous about just making that much noise.  He quickly caught on that his twin had no idea what they were dealing with.  That would only make things harder.  “Those are Killbillies.  They should not be out of the forest.  Clearly Gideon found something in my journal to counteract the barrier.  Anyway, these creatures are extremely dangerous.  Claws, teeth, pack mentality, and dogged determination.  I don’t know how we’ll get around them.”

 

“How did you deal with them last time?” Stanley asked, knowing his brother had to have encountered these things before and obviously lived.  They could just use the same tactics he did then.

 

“I…,” Stanford turned away with a look of shame.  Once again he had to acknowledge that much of his knowledge had not been gained on his own.  He hadn’t thought that in order to stop that monster they would have to deal with others the demon had once helped him escape.  “He got them off my trail last time.”

 

“Fuck, Ford, are you serious?” Stanley whispered, though he wanted to shout and curse and scream.  How was this his life?  How was he related to this man?  Why had they left Mabel and Tad to save Dipper from that freak alone?

 

“I didn’t think they would be here,” Ford said.  It was unclear if it was an attempt to defend himself, or if he was berating himself for not thinking of the possibility.  “Mabel and Tad would have been more likely to run into them than us.”

 

“Yeah, that makes me feel so much better,” Stan commented sarcastically.  To think such monsters could have been chasing his niece and nephew instead of guarding the Gleeful residence.

 

“To be fair they would likely have been little more than a distraction for  _ him _ ,” Ford added on.  He struggled to make a plan to either avoid or distract the Killbillies.  The more time they spent on this the longer the other three would have to endure whatever Cipher had in store for them.  Stanford grumbled a complaint about Dipper forcing that name back up.

 

“What if we go back?” Stanley suggested.  Ford looked at him like he had grown another head.  Stan breathed to get his thoughts together.  “What if Dipper is onto something?”

 

“Not you, too, Stanley,” Stanford shouted.  His brother just could not be suggesting what he seemed to be suggesting.  “After everything that monster put us through you want to put our lives on the line?”

 

“Hey, I’m just thinking about the kid here,” Stanley defended.  He hated when his brother took that tone with him.  He wasn’t an idiot.  He just wasn’t ‘book smart’ like Ford.  He knew things, too, dammit.  “I mean, does he really have to lose his magic just when he’s learning it?  There has to be some way to control his demon.  Sometimes these bonds change them.  Eights apparently used to be friends with the triangular freak.”

 

“Are you forgetting what happened to your Guardian?” Ford ranted.  How was he related to this idiot?  “You lost your arm to that lunatic, Stanley!”

 

“I’m trying to think of Dipper,” Stan shouted back.  His fists clenched at his sides.

 

Surely Stanford could understand his reasoning here.  Not all partnerships start off all sunshine and rainbows like Mabel had managed with Tad.  Hell, his meeting with Eight-Ball had blood, bruises, and lost teeth.  Granted it was because of some thugs wanting his money and his Guardian just so happened to come looking for him then.  It was a bonding experience.  Maybe that’s what Dipper needed with his demon.  He wasn’t about to forget all that the monster had done to him and his family, but he could at least try to tolerate his presence.  It was for Dipper’s sake.  If whatever force decides this shit wanted the kid to have such a ‘Guardian’ Stan certainly wouldn’t stand in the way.  It sure beat having to face the fucker again.

 

The sounds of angry hissing suddenly registered to the pair.  Their eyes widened at the same time.  They cursed themselves; Stanley verbally while Ford kept it to himself.  They had forgotten all about the Killbillies in their argument.  Wasn’t that just their luck, though?  They slowly backed out of the bushes.  If they were quiet enough maybe the creatures would forget they had been there.  They were maybe a foot from their hiding place when one of the monsters pounced.  Stanley tightened his grip on his cane at the sight of the thing tearing the foliage apart.  That very easily could have been his body or Stanford’s for that matter.

 

“Run,” Stanford shouted.  He started listening to his own advice, Stanley not far behind.  “Head back to The Shack!  If we split up they’re less likely to get us!”

 

“Like hell I’m leaving you,” Stanley said.  He turned and swung at one of the beasts on his heels.  The creature yelped as it was sent flying.  Stan was still able to call upon his magic and imbue his cane with it.  If only it were enough to bring his Guardian back, but now was not the time to think about such things.  “We either get there together or not at all!”

 

“Don’t be so melodramatic, Stanley,” Ford said with a roll of his eyes.  He allowed Stanley to pull ahead while he activated his glove.  One of the Killbillies took a direct hit to their straw covered head.  It fell to the ground, for the time being.  The others continued their pursuit.  Those two would not be down for long.  “Just get home and we’ll figure out what to do from there.  If nothing else we can hide in the basement.”

 

“What if the kids get back while we’re figuring out a plan?” Stanley asked.  His priority tended to be his family first and his own safety second if ever.  It was honestly something on Ford’s mind as well.

 

“Then let us hope you are right about Dipper working things out with his Guardian,” Stanford said.  He felt bile rise in his throat calling that monster such a thing.  It did not change what was true.  They could only hope Mabel and Tad were having better luck than them.  For now they just had to hold out until they reached home.  Hopefully they could pull ahead of the Killbillies enough to get inside.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Dipper tried to look anywhere but at anyone else.  His face had to be as red as a tomato at this point.  How much blood could his face hold?  How much embarrassment could he endure?  Perhaps it wasn’t that bad, but currently Dipper felt like the central focus of too many eyes.  The fact that it was just his sister and their respective Guardians did not matter.  Why did Bill have to be so clingy?  It was like the demon wanted others to know Dipper was his human.  Well, that did sound a lot like Bill, honestly.  Still, did his demon have to do this now?  With people around?

 

The brunet was stuck in Bill’s lap.  The demon was floating with his legs crossed.  Dipper’s legs dangled over them, unable to reach the ground.  He could feel Bill resting his chin on his shoulder.  Bill’s left hand was in Dipper’s hair.  The ministrations of his clawed fingers felt good.  Dipper just didn’t find himself able to enjoy it because there were others around.  Why did his demon have to do this?  At least Mabel and Tad were unable to see the tentacle slipped up under the back of his shirt, massaging that spot on his neck.  Dipper didn’t know if he wanted to turn into goo, or just let his spirit leave his body.  Unfortunately the other two could see the tendrils wrapped around Dipper to keep him in place.  After his struggling Bill wasn’t trusting Dipper to stay put on his own.

 

If Dipper did look up he would see that Mabel was content to somewhat mirror his position.  Tad appeared to be the one not knowing how to react.  Mabel was sitting slightly in front of her demon in the grass.  Tad had his legs bent at his human’s sides.  He put his hands on her shoulders after Mabel had leaned back against him.  He clearly didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.  Tad tried to distract himself by attempting conversation.

 

“Stanford and Stanley are trying to retrieve his information on breaking bonds,” Tad said.  Perhaps it was not a good place to start, but he had no idea how to talk to Bill anymore.  He watched the other for some kind of reaction.  Tad flinched when Mabel placed her hands on his.

 

“You know as well as I do that it won’t work now,” Bill said after opening his eye to focus on the other demon.  His distaste for Tad was plain in that simple stare.  The purple demon glanced away.  He missed Dipper elbowing Bill.  Mabel watched the silent conversation between her brother and the golden demon.  “They can break a bond, but a link is harder to sever.”

 

“Did you really attain your weapon form as soon as you were released?” Tad asked.  It was a fascinating concept.  What made the two so different that they already had a link form between them so quickly?

 

“I turn into a shield,” Bill clarified.  He didn’t seem to care for the fact much, but if it meant protecting his human he would take what they got.  “It’s not exactly a weapon as I would classify one.  My only guess is that Pine Tree found his way into my mindscape, and the bond grew from there.”

 

“I turn into a grappling hook,” Tad pointed out.  He did like the versatile weapon, but it was rather unconventional.  His Charge had an interesting imagination.  He focused back on the other demon, thankful but also disappointed that Bill’s eye had closed again.  “How did Dipper manage that exactly?”

 

“Complete accident, honestly,” Dipper confessed after finding his voice.  He looked down again when he realized he had just drawn attention to himself.  A bit softer he added.  “When I slept I just found myself there.”

 

“Ah, so Billy-bob was the one giving you those nightmares,” Mabel said.  Her teasing smile faltered when the demon opened his eye to glare at her.  She shrunk back a little into Tad.  Apparently that was a sore subject.

 

“N̘e̥͆̀͡v̭̹̠̱̊̊͌ͅe̤͖͓ͧ͊r̟͗̃̀͂̔ ̞͙͓̠̥̕c̢̥̦̆̽ͮ̋ͬa̢̻̗̰ͮ̓͐̍l͕͙̟̩̰̉̃ͧ̈l̯̮͍̊̂ͨ͂ ̑̍ͭ͏m̠̥̰ͨ͞e͎͓͋ ̶ͪ̒͛t̹̋ͧ̏ẖ̤̮̉̌̄͊̽͞a̪̫̼̻̝͙̺̅̾̽̃͆̋̊t̴̘̭̩̪̲͎ͤ̔͑ͩ̚ ̨̠̜̦͇ͣ͊͑̍͊a̢͇̱̝ͨͪͬ̆ͦ͆̉ͅǵͭ͆̔ͣ̾̈a͊ͪ͑͆ͯ͡ī̖͚͎̳̣̪͢n̺̤̾ͣ̅ͥͫ̚͜,” the demon said as his glare seemed to intensify.

 

“Sorry,” Mabel mumbled.  Her brother’s demon was honestly terrifying.  It was a good thing he was on their side or Dipper’s side at least.  Mabel managed to perk herself up.  “I tend to give nicknames to people for fun.”

 

“I have no interest in being part of your fun,” Bill said.  His eye was little more than a yellow line.  His golden brow lifted as Mabel puffed out her cheeks in a pout.  She felt the demon was being rather rude.  What had she ever done to him?  Besides the blast to the eye, because he had totally deserved that.

“We should head back home,” Dipper suggested.  He didn’t need his demon to start a fight with his sister.  If Bill couldn’t get along with Mabel then there was absolutely no chance in bringing Ford and Stan around.  He tried in vain to make his feet touch the ground.  Sitting on Bill made Dipper feel like a scrawny child again.

 

Bill grumbled something under his breath.  He still refused to let his human down.  Dipper groaned in annoyance and tried to wiggle free of the tentacles.  It didn’t work, and the brunet was forced to lie back against Bill as the demon flipped onto his back.  The demon’s arms lifted to support his head as he drifted in the air like he was floating on water.  Dipper whined to be let down to walk.  Mabel covered her mouth so she wouldn’t laugh at the two.  It was honestly quite adorable in her opinion.

 

Tad stood up so the pair would not get too far ahead.  He gently helped Mabel to her feet.  She kept hold of his hand as they started to follow Dipper and Bill.  Mabel suddenly got the idea to use her Guardian as transportation like her brother.  She tugged on Tad’s arm until he stopped.  The purple demon smiled and lowered for Mabel to get on his back.  The brunette let out an excited shout once she was positioned to piggyback off Tad.  He turned his head slightly to smile at her.  The pair resumed following the other two.  Dipper had since given up trying to escape Bill.  The golden demon watched the square and mortal with a look of distaste.  Bill closed his eye.  He would endure this for his human.  He would tolerate this traitor and his cohorts, or he would find a way to live with Pine Tree forever hating and being afraid of him.

 

“Last one back to the Mystery Shack is a wet blanket,” Mabel declared.  She urged Tad to go faster.  The purple demon chuckled before speeding up.  He spared a glance to Bill even though the other demon didn’t seem to be paying attention.

 

The brunette’s challenge at least perked Dipper up.  He watched as Tad took to the trees, taking the higher ground.  He grumbled at the head start his sister had.  Dipper tried to move in Bill’s hold.  He couldn’t see his demon’s mouth curve upwards.  If it was a challenge Shooting Star wanted then Bill had no problem dragging the others through the dirt.  His arms moved to hold Dipper close.  This left his tendrils free to stretch ahead.  They curled around a couple trees.  Dipper looked down at his chest where Bill kept a secure hold on him.  He suddenly felt the air rushing by them.  He was forced to close his eyes from the speed at which his demon was going.

 

Bill had managed to launch them above the trees.  He shifted in the air so that Dipper was below him.  The brunet opened his eyes in time to see the leaves coming closer.  His panic was cut short when Bill grabbed onto him again.  Dipper couldn’t bring himself to look up at the demon as he was held against his chest.  Bill’s right arm was supporting his legs while the left supported Dipper’s back.  Bill continued using his tentacles to launch them forward.  It was almost disappointing when the clearing for the Pines’ residence came into view.  Bill flipped a few times in the air before his feet hit the ground.  He straightened up before setting Dipper on his feet.  Tad and Mabel landed just behind them, lacking the flair Bill had put into it.  Mabel looked shocked to find they had beat Tad.

 

Any further interaction was cut short by the sounds of something running towards them.  The four looked towards town to find Stanley and Stanford being chased.  Bill lifted a brow at the sight.  The two humans looked surprisingly untouched by the Killbillies thus far.  They were clearly out of breath, however.  No doubt one of them would have to take the fall soon, or they both would be taken down.  Tad stepped forward with an orange flame forming in his palm.  It wasn’t that impressive.  Bill figured the square needed to rest before he was capable of any real feats.  He sighed at the thought of having to step in.

 

Dipper was pulled back by his collar.  He struggled and shouted, but ultimately was forced to obey his demon’s unspoken demands.  It was enough to get Tad and Mabel’s attention.  Bill rolled his shoulders and lowered into a slight crouch.  He watched the approaching pair with a narrowed eye, waiting for his opening.  Dipper tried to figure out what Bill was planning.  The demon’s golden eye opened wide as his slit pupil contracted.  He rushed the group.  Two of his tendrils reached forward and struck the ground just before he reached the Stan twins.  Bill spun in the air over the two with his left claw poised to slash his target.  The unfortunate Killbilly cried out and stumbled back.  Blood oozed from the deep gashes.  The others hissed at the demon, all but forgetting their initial targets.  The golden demon smiled as he inhaled the scent of freshly spilled blood.

 

Stan and Ford made it to the other three before halting to catch their breath.  Stanley hunched over with his hands on his knees.  Stanford stood with his head turned to the scene.  He quickly turned his attention to his niece and nephew.  Dipper and Mabel did not look any worse for wear.  Mabel’s sweater was ripped, but Ford could discern no injuries that could not have been caused by a simple jagged branch.  He needed answers, though, and a distraction from the carnage taking place in his yard.

 

“What happened?” He asked, not really caring which one of them answered.

 

“We got Dipper back,” Mabel declared with a thumbs up.

 

“I knew you could do it, pumpkin,” Stanley said with a tired smile.  He was either going to his watching chair or straight to bed after this.

 

A shriek from one of the Killbillies made them all flinch.  Dipper took a step closer to the scene.  He barely took notice of Great Uncle Ford coming to stand beside him.  The man placed a hand on his shoulder.  Stanford gulped at what his eyes managed to catch.  Cipher would handle it.  He just wasn’t sure what the demon would do afterwards.  Their first priority should be getting Dipper out of here.  They would figure out how to get his journal back after they managed to regroup away from where the monster could find them.  Something seemed to snap when Dipper shrugged Ford’s hand off.  The man held his hand there, looking as if he had just been slapped in the face.

 

The creatures continued to shriek and hiss at their adversary.  One of them lay on the ground with wet wheezes escaping it in an attempt to breathe.  The grass around it became darker and damper with blood.  A large hole revealed its chest cavity.  The organs that should be inside were scattered across the ground, knocked free from the tendril’s path through it.  Bill’s blood soaked claw tore through another’s shoulder, severing the arm completely.  The creatures seemed to be catching on to the fact that they would not win this fight.  The demon had no intention of letting them leave.  Bill’s tentacles shot out to stop the furthest beast.  It shrieked in alarm and agony.  The tendril tightened around its leg, crushing the bones within.  It lifted the Killbilly off the ground and flung it.  The creature made a horrible smack against the side of the Mystery Shack.

 

Bill began to chuckle at the monsters’ weakening fight.  The chuckle soon became unhinged laughter that carried into the trees and surrounded the area.  The remaining Killbillies began their retreat.  Dipper didn’t pay attention to Stanford trying to get them moving.  The brunet swallowed before making his way toward the bloody scene.  He could feel his family’s horrified stares on his back.  They wouldn’t dare call to him, though.  It was too risky to direct attention to themselves.

 

Perhaps Dipper wasn’t thinking clearly.  He had to do this, though.  He had to fight back this fear of his own demon.  Bill wouldn’t hurt him.  The demon was just protecting Dipper.  He had protected Dipper’s family as well.  The brunet just had to prove this to them.  He ignored the fact that he was stepping through blood soaked grass, and possible bits of Killbilly.  He came to a stop just behind Bill.

 

Silence fell over the area.  Neither of them knew what the others were doing.  It didn’t really matter just then.  The demon’s tentacles lowered down to about his ankles.  Bill could feel his sapling behind him.  He could sense the uncertainty in Dipper.  Obviously that display of his power was not helping the brunet's comfort level.  It did say something that Dipper was still willing to approach him, though.  Bill breathed out while his tentacles hid away once more.  Why did it matter so much that his human felt safe around him?  Bill hated the very idea of self reflection, but it was likely his way of getting answers.  Strange was another option.  Bill internally scoffed at the idea of going to that traitorous square for anything.

 

Pine Tree was all that mattered.  Regardless of the potential drawbacks of this bond they were connected.  A Pines or not Dipper was his.  Bill certainly planned to keep it that way.  He planned on making sure the world knew it, too.  His sapling’s perception of him could make or break it, though.  Pine Tree had to trust him, to feel safe around him.  Otherwise the kid would want nothing to do with him.  Not for the first time Bill wondered why it mattered so much.  It mattered because Dipper Pines was his.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just let me know your thoughts, please.
> 
> Also, enjoy this code to get an idea of future events:  
> gsv wvero dzmgh gl kozb yb rtmrgrmt z uriv rm gsrh givv


	19. An Uneasy Truce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions rise inside the Mystery Shack as the Pines and Tad try to work out how to live with Bill Cipher in their midst. Said demon is getting far too much enjoyment out of messing with them all. At least Dipper is there to attempt keeping his Guardian in line. It is not an easy task especially when Bill decides to mess with him. Is that really what is happening here, or are the demon's advances sincere?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost to 20, everyone! We're about to go from 0 to 60 in this chapter. There may be a bit of dubious consent, but things don't actually go too far... I'm just putting it out there in case some feel it's needed. Anyway, this is where the actual billdip kicks off!
> 
> Warnings: Bill, attempted bribes, talk of dismemberment/disembodied limbs, swearing, self image issues, self doubt, possessive behavior, trust issues, m|m kissing, sexual content, amateur strip tease, possible dubcon, tiny amount of blood

 

 

The Pines family plus the two demons relocated inside the Mystery Shack after seeming to calm down.  Mabel took a seat at the table in the admittedly cramped kitchen.  The table could accommodate four, and the room was currently occupied by six.  Tad stood beside Mabel, both acting as the semi neutral party.  The other occupants appeared more confrontational.

 

Dipper was still upset that his great uncle had completely disregarded his wishes.  The man just seemed to be treating him like some naïve child.  He didn't want to be in the same room as the man at the moment, but it was obvious they needed to work through this somehow.  It was a little comforting to know that Grunkle Stan was at least sort of coming around.  The man clearly did not trust Dipper's Guardian anymore than his brother did.  Still, he didn't want to see his great-nephew suffer.  If there was a chance at some form of a truce then Stanley certainly wouldn’t get in the way of it.  Despite this he did stand beside his twin, blocking the way further into The Shack.

 

Bill was the only truly relaxed one of the bunch.  The demon floated on his back with his right arm supporting his head.  He examined his left claw in a show of boredom.  Two of his tendrils were curled around Dipper’s shoulders.  The brunet could not bring himself to relax despite the calming ministrations.  There were just too many eyes on him.  He did ponder the merits of telling Bill to stop.  It was likely the demon would not even listen.  The presence of his potentially dangerous appendages could be making the others tenser, though.  Dipper could tell that they were at least distracting for everyone, including him.  The longer the silence lasted the more uneasy everyone got.  Someone had to start whatever was going to happen, but no one wanted to be it.  Mabel eventually decided to break it.

 

“So, Tad can turn into a grappling hook now,” she said with an accomplished grin.

 

“Well, it’s certainly a unique weapon choice,” Stan said.  He offered his niece a proud smile.  Much like Stanford he was reluctant to take his eyes off of Cipher.  The demon’s relaxed state only seemed to put them more on edge.

 

“Yeah, we had to take down this weird lava demon,” Mabel continued.  Perhaps informing them of how Tad and her found Dipper would help ease the tension in the room.  Surely if it was clear that Bill was willing to protect Dipper they could put aside any other issue.  “Tad hit him in his seven-eyed face and we used the trees to escape.  Eventually we found Dipper, and Bill helped bring the other demon down.”

 

“If by ‘helped’ you mean did the work your weak asses couldn’t,” Bill said offhandedly.  He dropped his left hand to dangle his arm towards the floor.  His eye drifted to the others with a bored gaze.  He zeroed in on Stanford and Stanley.  “Much like I did to save your pathetic lives.”

 

“Bill,” Dipper warned in more of a whining tone than he would have liked.  The point was to get his grunkles to give the demon a chance.  Bill wasn’t doing himself any favors mocking and belittling them like this.

 

“Only calling it as I see it, sapling,” Bill responded unapologetic.  His left arm moved to help support his head as he turned his attention up towards the ceiling.  He commanded a third tentacle to slip up under Dipper’s shirt to seek out that spot on his neck.  The kid was far too tense.  His human went completely rigid when he felt the tentacle against his skin.

 

“Dipper,” Ford called in alarm.  He took a step forward with his fist clenched, still wearing his electro-pulse glove.  The brunet’s tensing put everyone else back on alert.

 

“Fine, it’s fine, I’m fine,” Dipper blurted out.  It probably wasn’t the best way to get them to calm down.  The point was to avoid any fights breaking out.  They all clearly needed a reason for his reaction.  Dipper felt embarrassed admitting to it.  Something about Bill’s fascination with his symbol felt far too intimate.  He gently smacked the demon’s tendrils away.  “Bill was just touching my mark.  With his tentacles.”

 

Stanford let his fist unclench at least.  His eyes focused on the floating demon that was basically ignoring anything going on.  At least Bill seemed to be, but knowing the demon he was likely faking his calm before deciding to strike.  Ford questioned (not for the first time) why he allowed Cipher to enter their home at all.  The fact that Mabel, Dipper, and even Tad had outvoted him didn’t really matter.  It was his house, and Stanley’s.  Stan had remained silent when they started arguing over what to do with Cipher nearby, the traitor.  He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder to pull him back.  One of them had to set some ground rules here, whether they were likely to be followed or not.

 

“Okay, I think we’ve all had a long day, so let’s get some shut eye,” Stanley suggested.  He could feel his twin’s protest coming even when he thought of what to say.

 

“Have you lost your mind?” Ford shouted.  There was no need to turn around and see his disapproval.  Stan could easily imagine it after all these years.

 

“For everyone’s peace of mind, Cipher is staying in the attic with Dipper,” he continued.  The sounds of Stanford stomping around to show how appalled he was reached his ears.  Stan would need to take him aside later.  “Also I would suggest keeping the extra appendages to a minimum.  We’ll consider this a trial run, and go from there.  Anyone have anything to add?”

 

“Do the extra appendages include arms that are not my own?” Bill asked with a grin.

 

“If you bring any severed limbs into this house I am confiscating and smacking you with them,” Stanley threatened without missing a beat.  The key was not to let Cipher think he had run of the place.  Stan wasn’t about to be intimidated.  He would likely get annoyed rather quickly, however.

 

“What if I paid you to look the other way when doing so?” Bill questioned.  He snapped his fingers and summoned a golden brick.  He waved it tauntingly in the air for Stanley.

 

“Listen here, wise guy, you are not bribing anyone,” Stan said while shaking his cane at the demon.  He wasn’t about to indulge any of his sick tendencies.  He didn’t like the way that golden eye zeroed in on the end of his cane.  Stanley quickly pulled it back to lean on.  His right hand completely covered the eight ball.  “Any questions not from the Mad Hatter here?”

 

“Do you actually expect us to sleep with him in the house?” Stanford asked from behind his brother.  His arms were crossed over his chest.  He clearly was not onboard with any of this.

 

“You, Tad, and I will take shifts,” Stanley said after turning to his twin.  He raised an eyebrow as he waited to see if this was satisfactory to the other.  Ford just gave a simple nod.

 

“Oh yes, by all means one of you would surely be able to stop any of my dastardly plans,” Bill mocked before descending into a fit of laughter.

 

“Did you seriously use the word ‘dastardly’?” Dipper asked in disbelief.  Who even used that besides some old cartoon villain?  It did get a small giggle from Mabel, though.  Dipper sighed before turning to his grunkles.  He more addressed Stan since the man seemed to be the one pushing them forward.  “I’ll keep him occupied.”

 

Dipper let out a cry of surprise when Bill suddenly grabbed onto him.  The demon pulled him back against his chest.  The brunet did not stop his struggles at being manhandled.  He would have to discuss his own set of boundaries with Bill.  Not that his Guardian was likely to listen to them.  Cipher dragged them out the door with his human yelling to be put down.  Stanley’s eyes widened along with Ford’s.  The two rushed to the door.  Mabel stood from her chair only to be held back by Tad.  The purple demon glanced up toward the ceiling before addressing the two Stans.

 

“They’re in Dipper’s room,” he informed them calmly.

 

They both let out relieved breaths.  Stanley leaned against the doorframe and waited for his heart to recover.  He was getting far too old for this.  No doubt Bill Cipher would be the death of him one way or another.  Ford was still angry that any of this was happening.  He stormed off to his lab.  They should be getting his journal back and ending this nightmare.  Since when did Stanley lose his mind enough to indulge this farce?  He supposed it had only been a matter of time.  Mabel he could understand, since she tended to see the good in others whether it was there or not.  Tad he would have thought had more sense, but apparently not.  There had to be some way to make them see sense again.  Stanford had to find a way to snap Dipper out of this.

 

Mabel watched her great uncle storm out of the room with a frown on her face.  Tad’s hand on her shoulder tightened in a show of comfort.  She offered her demon a grateful smile.  It was clear she worried about what was to happen in the coming days.  Mabel could take comfort in the fact that Dipper was safe at least.  He had a Guardian, and a powerful one at that.  They would all just have to find a way to get along with Bill.  Surely it wouldn’t be that hard if they were all on the same side.  She would just keep an eye on the golden demon and hopefully discover what he was really like.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Up in the attic room Dipper had managed to get free from Bill’s grasp.  The brunet was debating what to change into for bed, or if he even should.  He felt rather self conscious with Bill in the room.  Not that he figured his Guardian would care.  It was just a privacy thing.  Dipper hadn’t shared a room with anyone since he and Mabel got separate bedrooms.  Granted they did have their sleepovers.  It just felt different with the golden demon for some reason.  He could still feel the areas on his skin those tentacles had touched.  Dipper felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought.  Did Tad have tentacles, too?  The other demon had never used them if that was the case.  Not that Dipper had witnessed at least.

 

Bill was looking around the room after setting his gold brick down.  He pretended he wasn’t all that interested, but his attention to detail said otherwise.  Dipper decided it was his chance to change.  He could sleep in his shirt, but his shorts had to go.  He had slept in them a few times when he was younger, and it was far too uncomfortable.  Dipper undid the button before pulling down his zipper.  He could probably be out of them and in the bed by now, but he kept looking back to make sure Bill hadn’t glanced his way.  Thankfully his demon seemed preoccupied.  Dipper let his shorts drop so he was just in his shirt and boxers.

 

“Is that how you plan on keeping me occupied?” Bill asked with a slight purr.

 

Dipper froze with a mortified expression before turning to look at his demon.  He watched that golden eye shamelessly rove over his lower half.  A fluttering started in his stomach at the predatory gaze.  Bill slowly allowed his gaze to travel up until meeting his human’s eyes.  His little sapling looked like a startled animal with those wide doe eyes.  The brunet’s eyes widened further as his body tensed seemingly in preparation to run.  His stomach fluttered in anticipation rather than actual fear.

 

The human froze up as Bill came closer.  It was becoming uncomfortable to keep his head turned towards his Guardian.  The demon stopped right behind Dipper.  His golden eye gazed down at the brunet as his claw gently took hold of his human’s chin.  The angle forced the brunet to crane his neck.  Dipper felt a spike of fear when Bill’s hand slid down to loosely hold his throat.  The demon stared down at the revealed birthmark.  His free arm wrapped around Pine Tree to draw him closer.

 

“Bill?” Dipper questioned with uncertainty.

 

Their closeness only made him feel more self conscious.  His hands drifted back to press against Bill’s slack covered legs.  Dipper’s palms felt sweaty.  The demon’s eye shifted focus to the startled chocolate orbs.  He inhaled the sweet scent of wilderness and a crisp undertone that his human gave off.  The brunet opened his mouth to question his companion again only to be silenced.  Bill forced his Pine Tree as flush against him as he could while still keeping their angle.  His lips firmly pressed against Dipper’s own.  The human’s eyes widened in shock, but he put up no fight.  A slick tongue swiped over his lips before lingering at the seam to his mouth.  Bill’s eye closed while he savored the flavor.  Dipper hesitantly kissed back, letting his eyes fall shut as well.  His left hand lifted into the blonde locks as he felt a wave of lightheadedness come over him.

 

The blond smiled against his lips.  Both hands drifted lower.  The left moved to the hollow of Dipper’s throat, simply remaining there without any real pressure.  Bill’s right hand found the hem of the orange shirt.  It was tempting to just let his flames consume the top, but his sapling would likely not care for that as much.  A gasp escaped his human as the t-shirt began to be lifted.  Dipper’s free hand shot up to halt Bill’s right.  If more of his thoughts were in order he would have realized the surprising solidness of the blue flames.  His gasp allowed his demon to slip that tempting tongue into his mouth.  The muscle pressed along his teeth before seeking out his own tongue.  Dipper moaned involuntarily, only realizing a moment later that the demon was distracting him.  Bill lifted up his sapling’s shirt enough to expose his abdomen.  His fingers lightly explored the revealed flesh, causing Dipper to shiver as a heat started to rise within him.

 

“Bill,” the brunet managed to moan.

 

The sound certainly seemed to please the demon.  Bill reluctantly pulled back from his human.  Dipper panted in his breathless state.  It gave him time to get his thoughts back in order, however.  His eyes widened at all that was happening in that moment.  He brought his left hand up to his mouth in shock once Bill had released him.  The brunet had never experienced a kiss like that.  Dipper could taste his demon.  His senses still felt invaded with Bill.  The scent of spices and something untamed, the taste, it felt so overwhelming and yet welcoming all at once.  He hesitantly turned to properly face his demon.

 

Bill was carefully watching the other.  His sapling’s pupils had dilated, clearly aroused by their actions.  Pine Tree was not opposed to his advances, but there was a hesitance there borne of self consciousness.  He would have to remedy that somehow.  The blond stepped in again.  He lifted Dipper’s chin while bending closer to his human.  The connection of their lips was softer, and briefer.  Dipper attempted to follow Bill, but the gentle claw on his chin prevented that.  Those soft doe eyes silently pleaded.  What did his partner want him to do?  Dipper would certainly do it if it promised more of this.  Surely Bill wasn’t just toying with him here.  His doubts were beginning to resurface, however.  Did Bill even know what kissing was?  He had been in the world far longer than Dipper, but that didn’t mean he knew anything about relationships and gestures.

 

“Let me look at you,” Bill said softly.  He seemed to pick up on Dipper’s growing worries.  They couldn’t have that.  His eye lingered over his sapling’s partially clothed body.  He leaned in toward his sapling with a seductive purr.  “Why not continue to keep me occupied?”

 

“I-I…,” Dipper stammered, not sure how to respond or if he even should.  If Bill was suggesting what he seemed to be then the brunet had no idea how to proceed.  “I’ve never…”

 

“Don’t worry, sapling,” Bill soothed with a soft claw over those slightly swollen lips.  His eyelid lowered as he thought of all he could subject those lips to.  It had been so long since he had taken this form, felt these things.  “Why don’t we start with removing your shirt, slowly?  Just like your shorts.”

 

“You...you were watching me?” Dipper stuttered out.  His eyes widened as his face darkened with embarrassment.  How was that even possible, though?  Bill had been studying his room, hadn’t he?  Sure the demon had kept his back to him, but… It came to Dipper then.  “You were using the window.”

 

“Did you really expect me not to peek?” Bill asked with his golden brow lifted.  His signature smile returned full force.  The look Dipper gave showed that he understood.  He really shouldn’t have thought any other way.  Bill straightened up to his full height.  His left hand went to his bowtie, slowly undoing the knot and letting it hang loose over his neck.  “Give me a show, sapling, and maybe I’ll return the favor.”

 

Dipper felt his throat go dry.  He licked his lips nervously before swallowing.  He really had no idea what he was doing.  One had to start somewhere, though, right?  The brunet took a calming breath and squared his shoulders.  He turned to walk over to his bed.  What was he even doing?  Dipper pushed away his lingering hesitance as best he could.  He stopped and glanced over his shoulder.  Bill was watching him still.  The blond looked interested, or at the very least curious.  With another swallow Dipper lifted his hands to the hem of his shirt.  His arms crossed over each other as he took hold of the clothing.  He glanced down a moment before directing a small smile at Bill, hoping it passed for enticing.

 

The demon’s smile returned to that seductive half smirk.  His claw lifted to undo the top button of his white dress shirt.  Dipper bit his lip at the slightly more revealed caramel skin.  They were really doing this then.  He slowly started to lift up his shirt.  Bill’s brow lifted almost in challenge.  Dipper turned as his shirt made it past his stomach.  There wasn’t much to look at in his opinion, but maybe Bill would continue to be interested anyway.  The demon’s tongue ran between his lips, just barely peeking out.  The orange top finally dropped to the floor.  Dipper stood there a moment before moving his hands to his boxers.  He hesitated a moment before letting his thumbs slip under the hem.

 

“Now wait a second, Pine Tree,” Bill said in that surprisingly soft purr.  Dipper looked at him like a deer in the headlights.  The demon smirked in a way that seemed to reassure his sapling.  “I want to take you in a moment.”

 

That golden eye traveled over the brunet’s exposed torso.  Dipper did his best not to let his uncertainty show.  He didn’t believe he was much to look at.  He wasn’t exactly scrawny, but he didn’t have any defined muscles either.  His normally covered skin was paler than much of his arms and legs.  A farmer’s tan, many called it.  Dipper’s eyes glanced to a spot on the floor.  His arms hung at his sides as he tried not to fidget under Bill’s gaze.  He chanced looking up.  Bill’s eye seemed to linger on the patch of dark hair just below Dipper’s stomach.  The demon took a step closer.  His eye drifted down for just a moment as if trying to judge the path of that treasure trail.

 

A dark claw lifted to the buttons of his yellow vest.  His steps felt agonizingly slow even to himself.  Bill lingered on that mouth, wanting to ravish it again.  He wanted to taste that column of skin above his human’s delicate pulse.  Judging by the nearly eclipsed mocha of Dipper’s eyes he wanted it, too.  The brunet watched that single hand undo each button of the vest before moving onto the shirt beneath.  His tongue licked his suddenly dry lips at the sight of more goldenrod skin.  Bill stopped his advance to drape his yellow vest over one of the stacks of books.

 

The right side of Bill’s chest was exposed as he let his shirt hang off that shoulder.  The meeting of flesh and flame was visible.  Blue light pulsed along the nerves and veins around it in a steady rhythm.  His claw continued unbuttoning his top until there were no more buttons to deal with.  The clothing revealed the lean muscles.  They flexed in his movements like a stalking panther.  His left hand moved into his hair to push back the disheveled golden locks.  Dipper gulped as he watched that eye close and reopen with a greater intensity.  His gaze traveled down to Bill’s toned stomach.  His right hand hesitantly lifted with the urge to touch.  Bill’s hand was suddenly at the back of his neck.  Dipper felt like melting at the touch.  His hand connected with solid flesh that kept him grounded somehow.

 

The brunet couldn’t recall closing his eyes, but they opened to look up at fiery gold.  The touch of Bill’s right hand was cold on Dipper’s chest.  Bill’s thumb brushed over a pink nipple as it hardened.  Dipper gasped at the contact before the sound was swallowed by the other’s lips descending on his own.  That slick tongue wasted no time in claiming the wet cavern.  Dipper felt overwhelmed with sensation.  His hand rested at the center of Bill’s torso.  His left tried to reach up into the demon’s hair.  He felt the blond smirk against his mouth before Dipper felt himself falling.

 

Dipper hadn’t realized Bill had been maneuvering him back against the bed.  He fell back onto the unmade sheets with a look of confusion.  His still blown eyes stared up at the smiling demon.  Bill leaned down to place his hands on either side of Dipper’s head.  The blond lowered himself to recapture Dipper’s lips.  The human moaned at the contact.  His hand went into Bill’s hair to deepen the kiss.  His fingers played with the hairs at the back of the demon’s neck.  It was becoming harder to think clearly for Dipper.  He tried to recall the exact placing of his symbol.  How would Bill react to being touched there?  Sharp teeth caught his lower lip.  Dipper gasped before Bill pulled away.

 

Bill stared down at his sapling with a hooded gaze.  His lips curved into a soft smirk.  He licked his lips at the slight taste of blood.  Dipper seemed to be pouting up at him.  The brunet had not expected the sudden rough treatment.  Bill’s tongue flicked out to soothe the affected area.  His right thumb teased Dipper’s nipple, running over the pebbled bud before his forefinger joined in to lightly pinch it.  Dipper arched up into the contact with a broken moan.  The demon licked at the flesh over his pulse as he grasped both of Dipper’s wrists in one hand.

 

“Bill, what are you…?” Dipper asked as his uncertainty returned.

 

The restraint of his arms was unexpected.  Bill’s teeth ran along Dipper’s pulse point along with his tongue.  The latter was enjoyable, but the brunet could not help worrying about those sharp fangs against such a vulnerable area.  They were not trying to break skin.  Still, Dipper found his arousal giving way to the potential danger.  A tentacle slithered under his lower back to play at the hem of his boxers.  Another rubbed against the front over his growing erection.  Dipper moaned at the contact despite his still growing hesitance.

 

“Bill, wait… I,” Dipper felt breathless as he spoke.  The form above him paused.  A moment passed for Dipper to collect his thoughts in his still fogged up mind.  “I’ve never done this before.”

 

The mouth against his neck curved into a smile.  The closeness of their bodies allowed Dipper to feel what could have been a satisfied purr.  The sound that reached his ears, however, was more of a possessive growl.  Dipper felt the hand at his chest move down his body until it reached his last article of clothing.  His hands flexed in the hold Bill still kept on his wrists.  He waited for a verbal response.  His senses were filled with his own heart rate and the body holding him down.  The tentacles slowly pulled away.  It was a slight relief, but that cold burning hand was still at his boxers.

 

“Talk to me, Pine Tree,” Bill said.  His too wide grin was back in place.  Oddly enough it managed to comfort Dipper.

 

“I… I just don’t think I’m ready for this,” Dipper admitted.  He slowly brought his arms down from above his head.  He felt Bill’s right hand move away.  There was slight disappointment in the loss of contact, but he could see that the demon was just trying to respect his boundaries.  There was still the need to justify his reasoning, however.  “I’ve never gone further than kissing, and even then it was only during stupid games like Spin the Bottle.  I guess I’m trying to wait for the right person.”

 

“The right person,” Bill parroted.  He stood up so he wasn’t looming so much over Dipper.  His eye remained focused on the twenty-year-old’s face.  It was clear his human was relieved at the lack of pressure to continue, but the brunet appeared disappointed at the furthering distance between them.  Bill’s fangs remained on display within his smiling mouth.  He tilted his head in curiosity.  “What exactly makes the right person for you?”

 

“I don’t really know,” Dipper said as he broke eye contact.  He wondered if Bill was upset that he didn’t want to continue.  It didn’t appear so, but he was still getting to know the demon.  “Just someone I’m comfortable around.  Someone I can be myself with, and know that they don’t think I’m weird and annoying.  They don’t have to enjoy all the things I do, but it would be nice if they at least showed an interest sometimes.”

 

“What’s wrong with being weird?” Bill asked.  His head was no longer cocked to the side.  The smile was gone.  Dipper blinked up at him owlishly.

 

“It’s just something people have called me,” Dipper confessed.  He attempted to read his demon.  Once again he was reminded that he did not know Bill that well.  The blond seemed almost offended by something.  “I don’t want to be viewed as a freak, especially by those I trust.”

 

“So you view it as a bad thing, an insult?” Bill questioned further.  Dipper swallowed before nodding meekly.  The standing figure frowned at the action.  He lifted a tentacle to his sapling’s chin to force him to keep eye contact.  His other five tendrils wiggled about freely.  “What do you see, sapling?”

 

“A… my demon,” Dipper said without much confidence.  It managed to bring a small smirk back at least.  He honestly didn’t know where Bill was going with this.  He was afraid of possibly angering the demon.

 

“And as demons go what do you think of me?” Bill appeared to be trying to lead him down some train of thought.

 

“I don’t know that many demons,” Dipper replied.  He propped himself up on his elbows.  If he actually did sit up he would just be forced to strain his neck.  “Personally I’ve only interacted with you and Tad.”

 

“...Very well,” Bill breathed out after a moment.  Bringing up the other demon had probably not been the best idea.  “Then in comparison to the square, what would you say about me?”

 

“You have a unique fashion sense,” Dipper said with a weak smile.  Bill didn’t appear all that amused.  No, he clearly was leading somewhere that he expected his Charge to mentally follow.  “Well, considering Tad Strange... you are ironically a stranger demon.  He’s rather reserved, but polite and considerate.  You’re flashier, more in your face, and excitable.  Both of you are….”

 

“That’s enough about him,” Bill interrupted, clearly done thinking about Strange.  He closed his eye and exhaled before continuing on.  “The word strange is just used in place of different.  Different is good, right?  Too much of the same gets so boring.”  Bill’s limbs drooped in a dramatic show of exasperation.  Dipper figured that could be another word for his Guardian.  The demon composed himself again.  “My point is that different, strange, weird, unique…  They’re all just words that mean the same exact thing!”  His grin returned full force as he gazed down at Dipper.  He almost looked deranged to the brunet.  “The most fun beings are all freaks on some level!  Just look at me, kid!”

 

“I guess that’s one way to look at it,” Dipper mumbled.  He wasn’t sold on the idea, but he could see where Bill was coming from.

 

“It’s  _ the _ way to look at it,” Bill insisted.  He had a lot of conviction for the topic apparently.  His expression turned less maniacal then.  The tentacle at Dipper’s chin slithered up to cup his cheek like a hand.  “My point is I happen to like weird, and have no time for the boring state of ‘normal’ you humans obsess over.”  The air quotes could be heard in his tone.  There was a clear disgust for the word as well.  Bill leaned down with a claw placed under Dipper’s chin.  His voice dipped into a sultry purr when he let his lips brush his sapling’s own.  “If you want me around, Pine Tree, you will wear it like a badge of honor.”

 

Dipper had been staring up at his demon with a look of awe.  His eyelids fell to half mast at the feather light touch of Bill’s lips.  The words still reached him.  He supposed it had all been meant as a pep talk.  Bill would stand with him as long as he was true to himself, no matter what anyone else said.  It made sense, to Dipper, that this demon would oppose the very idea of conformity.  Dipper leaned up to press their lips together.  He didn’t know how else to convey his understanding in that moment.

 

A tongue slipped out to soothe the healing bite on Dipper’s bottom lip.  The brunet parted his lips slightly to the muscle.  Bill reluctantly pulled back and stood up.  His sapling needed time, so he would give it.  Pine Tree watched him with a look between confusion and apprehension.  The blond smiled to banish his human’s doubts.  Pine Tree was already feeling safe around him.  Bill wasn’t about to jeopardize that so early on.  What was a little time taken for his sapling to better warm up to him?  Besides, they both could get to know each other in the process.  Bill took a step back from the bed.

 

“You should get some rest, Pine Tree,” he said.

 

The pink taking over Dipper’s face made Bill laugh.  Pine Tree refused to make eye contact.  Bill smirked before turning to the window while Dipper crawled under the sheet.  The demon claimed the small sitting area that served as a windowsill.  He sat so he could face his human’s bed.  Dipper tucked himself into bed, curling into a half ball.  He tried to offer up a smile to his Guardian.  It was uncertain and hesitant, and full of all the doubts shining in his mocha eyes.  Bill allowed his mouth to slip into that too wide grin that somehow managed to put his sapling at ease.  The doubts subsided for the time being.  His Pine Tree was already so different from all the mortals he had come across.

 

Bill watched his human get more comfortable in the bed.  He still needed to fix the condition his sapling was currently living in.  It wasn’t truly bad, per say, but he wanted the best for his Pine Tree.  The Northwests would be jealous by the time Bill was done lavishing Dipper with all he could and would ask for, probably even before.  He snapped his fingers to flick off the light switch on the other side of the room.  His shoulders sagged to reveal a tiredness that others rarely saw from Bill Cipher.  It seemed Pine Tree was not the only one with doubts circling their mind.

 

The image of the Ursa Major flashed in Bill’s mind when he closed his eye.  It was the last vision his lost sight had granted him.  Oddly enough it was the first thing he remembered once coming too outside of his vessel.  Now it was emblazoned on the forehead of one Dipper Pines.  Clearly it was meant as a sign to Bill.  It certainly meant more to him than that interpretation of himself that the Square’s stupid spell branded the brunet with.  Granted that, too, had its uses.  Bill’s skin crawled at the thought of his own form’s branding.  It wasn’t like an actual hot iron against the flesh of course.  He grit his teeth at the thought all the same.  A tendril lifted to unlatch the window.  He opened it with a simple nudge to allow a soft breeze in.

 

“Bill?” Dipper asked from his place in the bed.  It was a concerned sound, a fearful questioning.

 

“Just getting the air to circulate, Pine Tree,” Bill said, revealing none of his internal discussion.

 

“You’re not leaving, right?” Dipper questioned with his continued uncertainty.  It was easy to discern his fears of abandonment.  Bill smiled whether his human would see it or not.

 

“Where do you think I would go without you?” Bill countered softly.

 

There was no answer to that, but Bill could feel a gentle warmth at his neck.  Pine Tree was reassured, for now.  The reaction in their connection was clearly a show of thanks.  It still made the demon want to tear his flesh off.  Just the thought of being dragged into Strange’s wretched experiment like so many others made his blackened blood boil.  That’s all this really was after all.  It was the square trying to force demons and humans together, only now the former no longer had a choice in participating or not.

 

The only thing actually keeping him from going for Tad’s throat was the hassle of it all.  Shooting Star would just get in the way, and if she got hurt Pine Tree would be upset.  There would be no trust to gain then.  Bill was almost impressed by the other demon’s planning.  Sure the square claimed it was completely random what demon gets paired with what human, or if they even do get paired.  Bill internally laughed at the idea.  He knew better in this case.  Taddy had it all planned out from the start, no doubt.  Bill could almost admire the sheer underhandedness if it didn’t involve him so much.  No, this spell had been specifically crafted to put a leash on him!  The wretched traitor and all those with him could spew their rhetoric of peace and understanding with humanity, but Bill knew the truth.

 

It just so happened that his leash had been handed to his little constellation.  Perhaps that had been the work of chance, but Tad had certainly planned this to be Bill Cipher’s ultimate fate.  It did beg the question of what the Big Dipper truly meant, or should mean.  Bill had once thought it was a sign that this would be his world, his fresh start.  What if he was wrong, though?  What if the bearer of the constellation was to usher in his undoing?  Had he not already been undone by those he once trusted?

 

A dark claw ran through golden hair in frustration.  Bill closed his eye as the questions threatened to overwhelm him.  He was in quite the dilemma thanks to Tad Strange.  Why had this curse (because that’s what it truly was to him) waited so long to chose a human?  It could be the fact that Bill had been split in two, but he had spent three decades in dormancy then.  Perhaps there was some randomness to it.  Maybe it had waited to latch onto the one that Bill was sure to claim.  It was just another way for Strange to twist that knife in a little deeper.  Bill couldn’t have anything in this world without the square rising to stomp all over it.  The urge to just seek him out and end all this only grew.

 

Bill’s hands were tied, though.  What was he to do?  He still wanted this human to be his.  He needed Pine Tree to trust him.  He needed someone who wouldn’t turn against him.  Those bright stars had been the only thing keeping him going it seemed.  Surely they wouldn’t be used against him as well.  He had plotted under those stars.  He had even found his body under that constellation.  It couldn’t lead him astray now.  It couldn’t be made into his ruin.  Then again Tad knew all too well how to drive that sharp edge just so.

 

Perhaps he was worrying about it too much.  Surely Pine Tree wasn’t the only one with doubts and fears that were unfounded.  Bill had no interest in completely losing his mind.  Mindless destruction and bloodshed got boring rather quickly.  Though it was fun to watch others succumb to complete and utter madness.  Bill just couldn’t let himself fall to his own game.  He was the Master of the Mind after all.  It was a simple matter of keeping his thoughts straight, and discerning them from those originating from Pine Tree.  It sounded simple enough.  Then again putting it down on paper always seemed to make it easier than when put into practice.  Pine Tree was his, no matter what came from it.  For the time being he just had to focus on getting his sapling to trust him, and not becoming a glorified pet in the process, and not going off the rails if he suspected he was.

 

The sun seemed to rise all too quickly while Bill shorted out his thoughts.  He watched the sleeping form of his human.  Pine Tree certainly looked like a child when he slept.  The thin sheet was pulled up to his face with his neck slightly bent so his head was partially hidden.  A small smile tugged at Bill’s lips.  The kid was honestly adorable.  It made the fact that he belonged to Bill all the sweeter.  Dipper mumbled quietly in his sleep, adjusting his position slightly before settling back down.  He was already comfortable enough with his demon to sleep in the same room with him, alone and completely unguarded.  Well, not completely since Bill was there to do so.

 

Bill turned his head to glance out the window.  The forest beyond remained quiet.  There was still a mess in the yard to be cleaned.  The splatter on the side of The Shamble was likely still there as well.  Bill absently wondered how many of the other Pines members got sleep that night.  The Square had likely stayed close to his shining beacon.  Sixer was probably hulled up in his lab with security measures out the yang.  With what Bill recalled of Stanley the man had likely conked out either on the sofa or a foot from his bed.  They likely wouldn’t be getting much sleep with Bill being there.  He didn’t even have to do anything but exist freely and they would all be looking over their shoulders.  It didn’t really matter so long as Pine Tree was comfortable around him.

 

The demon pushed his musings aside to watch a man leave an old pickup truck.  It definitely needed a new paint job at the very least.  The man wore a dark green t-shirt with some design on it.  Bill didn’t pay that much attention beyond the fact that they were down there.  He ingested a lot of sweets the demon would guess.  Likely bags of junk food on top of that.  A friend of the Pines family perhaps?  The man seemed to notice the body in the grass.  Bill could see the shrugging motion he made before turning to the building.  His ears picked up the small sounds when the man was on the porch, then inside.  The demon spared a glance at his sapling before dropping from the window.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As an added note this author is a fucking tease. Even to herself! Anyway there is chapter 19 for you. A bit of hinted events at the end maybe?   
> And of course if anyone wants to chat, ask questions, or whatever my tumblr is gommodjc
> 
> Instead of an actual cipher this time I'll leave this little hint:
> 
> ?


	20. Question Mark Meets the Triangle Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The residents of the Mystery Shack try to wind down from the recent turn their lives have taken. Perhaps the morning will bring better news. It at least brings Soos. The loyal handyman of the Shack returns to find quite the surprise on the Pines' lawn. He's not entirely sure what to make of the new demon he comes across. Bill can't be that bad if he's a Guardian, though. Can he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this now because I'll probably be busy for the next couple of days. For those of you that guessed it, Soos is back! I realized I was leaving him out and felt terrible. Let's just hope his first meeting with Bill doesn't scar him for life.
> 
> Warnings: Bill, some Tad angst, sleeping Mabel cuteness, finding a dead body, scared Soos, Bill being a little shit, things Stanley Pines did not wish to know about

 

Tad managed to rest while Stanley kept watch.  He didn’t believe Cipher would try anything, but there was no harm in taking precautions.  The issue would be Stanford.  The man would either remain hulled up in his lab, or wind up coming out with some weapon to use against Bill.  Hopefully it was the former, for Ford’s own safety.  Stanley appeared mostly concerned that his twin would refuse to come up from the basement for days.  The eldest Pines just needed time to calm down, but there was the possibility that he would let himself stew down there.  They could only wait and hope that Stanford didn’t try to do anything drastic.

 

They were doing this for Dipper’s sake.  Stanford would see that soon enough, surely.  This was their trial run, as Stanley said.  One night was hardly enough time to understand how it would turn out, but it seemed to be going smoother than Tad had hoped for.  He knew it was pointless to wish for civil interactions all around.  Perhaps it was the fact that Bill had had other things to take any frustrations out on.  It was hard for him not to get his hopes up, though. 

 

Mabel was excited for her twin.  She was confident that Bill and Dipper truly had a strong connection.  The brunette also understood that Cipher still didn’t care for the family as a whole.  She believed that would change once they all got used to each other.  Tad didn’t want to dash her hopes, or his own for that matter.  All the same he wanted to be sure his Charge wasn’t put in danger.  For the time being Bill appeared to have no interest in being around anyone but Dipper.  That would help limit the possibility of Mabel being alone with the golden demon at least.  Tad hated to admit that he was fearful of his brother’s intentions, but there was no denying the truth.  The trust they once shared was long gone.

 

It was unfair of him to put so much on the youngest Pines.  The safety of this family hinged on Dipper being able to sway Bill.  Any possibility of reconciliation between the two demons rested on that connection.  Perhaps it was selfish for the purple demon to want a return of that trust.  It surely had to be.  Tad had spent far too long waiting for Bill’s Charge to come along.  He had basically denied his own simply so he wouldn’t miss the human’s arrival.  It seemed only fitting that the human bound to Bill would be the twin of his Shooting Star.  Perhaps it was the cosmos’ way of scolding Tad.

 

None of that really mattered now.  All they could hope for was to get along on some level.  Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard.  Bill’s main concern was keeping Dipper safe, at least from what Tad had witnessed.  He certainly didn’t want the brunet to fear him, or didn’t seem to.  They could work with that.  There was likely little chance of having his brother return to how they once were, but Tad could get to know the being Bill Cipher was now.  He just hoped that the golden demon could give him a chance.

 

Tad shook his head when he entered the gift shop area.  He had to remain focused on the here and now.  Speculating on the future wouldn’t help them reach it any faster.  Dwelling on the past was much the same.  Essentially he would have to start from the beginning with Bill.  They were like two demons getting used to sharing a territory.  Only they did know each other, and as far as Cipher was concerned it was not in a good way.  Tad sighed at the path his thoughts were going down.  How was his Charge able to near constantly look on the bright side of things?  Even in this Mabel was overly optimistic.  Perhaps she just had that much trust in her twin to make this work out.  Maybe it was simply because she didn’t know what Bill Cipher was truly capable of.

 

Keeping the young twins in the dark may be coming back to bite them now.  Then again it could be that very fact that was allowing Dipper to give his Guardian a chance.  Granted Stanley was offering this chance, but that was because of his great-nephew.  If Dipper had been willing to have his magic taken away they wouldn’t be at this point.  Even Tad had been at the point of giving up then.  The thought of Bill accepting a member of the Pines family as his Charge just sounded so preposterous.  Here they were, though, with Bill Cipher inside the Mystery Shack.

 

The only light in the gift shop came from the snack machine.  Tad paused before punching in the code.  He wasn’t sure how Stanford was handling all this down in his lab.  The vending machine let out a soft hiss as it opened from the wall.  The purple demon left it open as he descended down the stairs.  Cipher had not left the attic since he took Dipper up there.  It was unlikely he would show up until the brunet woke and came down.  That certainly wouldn’t stop Stanford from throwing a fit should he find out about Tad’s carelessness.  He did not care.  Down the corridor he could see the door to Ford’s room was ajar.  Tad frowned, it wasn’t like the man to leave doors open especially when working.

 

There was a distinct lack of noise coming from the room.  Tad cautiously peeked in to see what Stanford was up to.  The eldest Pines was sat at his desk with a familiar invention.  He was likely tuning it up to use against Cipher.  Tad let out an exasperated sigh at the thought.  It should have been enough to get Ford’s attention.  The man was rather high strung, for good reason.  Perhaps the demon should be more fearful of this specific ray-gun.  Soft snores reached his pointed ears.  Apparently not even Stanford could deny the call of sleep.  It was tempting to move him to the nearby couch, but that would likely wake the man.  Instead Tad backed out and flicked the light off.  He made sure the door was shut before heading back up to the gift shop.  He could only hope that Stanford thought his plan through before doing something utterly moronic.

 

Strange made his way to check up on Mabel.  Surely nothing would happen if he decided to end his watch now.  Bill had likely fallen asleep while watching Dipper.  Tad hoped they weren’t keeping each other up by talking.  It would be nice for them to get to know each other better, but even demons needed sleep once in awhile.  They would find out at breakfast likely, when Dipper tried to eat his shirt instead of his pancakes.  It would be interesting to see what came with the rising sun.  Hopefully they could continue this uneasy civility.  Tad figured he wouldn’t push his luck by wishing for it to improve just yet.

 

Mabel was sprawled out on her bed when Tad teleported in.  He smiled at the lack of care her position displayed.  One arm was curved up over her head which was tilted up slightly.  Tad barely withheld his laughter at her snoring.  The sheets were tangled up around Mabel’s legs.  The demon silently crept closer to fix them.  He pulled the sheets up to cover Mabel.  The sleeve of her nightgown was pushed up enough to reveal the violet square.  Tad carefully fixed that as well.  Mabel mumbled in her sleep and tried to shift closer to his presence.  The demon smiled while gently wiping away the drool clinging to the corner of his partner’s mouth.  His glove covered fingers brushed through the soft brown hair at Mabel’s forehead.

 

“Sleep well, Shooting Star,” Tad whispered before placing a gentle kiss to her head.

 

One of her hands had caught his arm as he pulled away.  Tad was careful not to wake her as he extracted his limb.  He sighed with a soft smile playing at his lips.  It was tempting just to crawl into the bed with her.  He wanted to hold Mabel close and run his fingers through her hair.  Surely Mabel wouldn’t mind if he just lied on top of the covers.  Tad closed his eyes before turning back to the door.  Mabel had invited him in here a number of times to talk and just enjoy one another’s company, but it was ultimately her space.  Tad had no desire to intrude.  With one last glance to his sleeping Charge he shut the door.  He could claim the couch for the rest of the night.  Tad was apparently more tired than he had thought.  It only took him a few minutes after finding a tolerable position to drift off.

  
  
  
  
  
  


It had been a few days since Soos had talked with the Pines.  They were his second family, and he missed them during that time.  Not to say that he hadn’t had reason to be away.  Abuelita needed help fixing up her house.  That was taken care of now.  Soos figured he could surprise Mr. Pines by tidying up the gift shop.  Stanley Pines was much like the father he was never allowed to have.  He taught Soos to be a shrewd businessman and excellent salesman.  Now, sure he hadn’t learned the art of breaking and entering like Wendy had picked up from the man, or even the twins.  Soos just took it to mean that Mr. Pines truly saw him as a son.

 

Therefore, like any good son Soos got up bright and early to begin his day at the Mystery Shack.  It couldn’t go without Mr. Mystery after all.  He had officially taken the title a year prior, and he absolutely loved it.  Mr. Pines would step in every so often if Soos was busy with a repair job.  Stanford Pines tended to stay out of their way.  He still wasn’t too keen on the fake attractions.  Dipper and Mabel ate it up, though.  They didn’t believe any of it of course, unlike many of the people that stopped in for a tour.

 

Admittedly when Soos had gone some time without seeing or talking with any of the family he got a bit worried.  He knew that Mr. Pines and his twin brother had a lot on their plate, even before Mabel and Dipper arrived.  They were the protectors of the town, after all.  The barrier that Tad Strange set up was meant to keep the dangerous creatures of the forest inside the forest.  It worked, but the hazards of living in Gravity Falls were not always local.  Demons had been known to invade in years past.  Some blamed Tad for their coming here, but it was him and the Stan twins that kept the town safe in the end.  Besides, that hadn’t occurred for years now.  There was no guarantee that it would continue to be that way, however.

 

It was for this reason that Soos stopped in his tracks when heading to the porch of the Mystery Shack.  There was a mangled body on the lawn.  He blinked at it a few times, not immediately understanding what it was.  He didn’t know what creature it had been.  Soos had no plans to get closer to find out.  It almost looked human, and that’s what worried him.  Surely the Pines and Tad had taken care of the danger, though.  He just hoped none of them had gotten injured in the process.  They had likely been tired afterwards, and that would explain why the body was still out in the open.

 

Soos shrugged and went inside.  He would find something to clean it up.  Mr. Pines would be happy that he didn’t have to deal with it.  Soos left the closed sign in its place.  They wouldn’t be opening for customers for a few hours after all.  He headed for the back to get what he would need for the body.  They didn’t need the patrons to find that, unless Mr. Pines planned to use it in his exhibit.  Soos would find a place for it until he asked his boss what to do.  He grabbed the supplies for tidying up the room while he was at it.  No need to make too many trips after all.

 

The jingle of the bell at the door caught the man’s attention.  He startled a moment, not expecting anyone to come in for some time.  Soos turned to find an exceptionally tall individual had entered.  The strange man had strikingly blonde hair with bangs swept to the left.  His attire consisted of a black waistcoat with golden triangular buttons over a yellow dress shirt with a matching pair of slacks.  A pair of dark leather Oxfords adorned his feet, while his left hand was covered by a glove that reached mid forearm.  The sleeve of the button up was pushed up to the man’s elbow, revealing goldenrod skin.  Soos blinked at the individual.  He didn’t look like a tourist, and Soos was certain he would remember seeing someone like him around town.

 

“Hey, sorry, dude, but we’re closed until nine,” Soos said as politely as possible.  Something about the man gave him the creeps.  He caught the strange gold eye watching him without blinking.  The slit pupil just added to the creep factor this dude was giving off.  The odd look of his right arm didn’t help either.  Soos’ eyes widened when he caught on.  “You’re a demon!”

 

“Hm and you’re not quite as dumb as you look,” the demon replied with an echo to his voice.  He still hadn’t blinked.  Was that a demon thing?  Tad blinked, right?  The blond smiled, revealing razor sharp teeth that made Soos instinctively step back.  “One of Stanley’s workers I presume?”

 

“Uh, yeah, I work for Mr. Pines,” Soos said in an unsteady voice.  His show of fear only seemed to make that smile grow wider.  Soos swallowed.  He had never come face to face with a demon besides Tad Strange.  Unlike the purple clad one, this demon just embodied the word dangerous.  Maybe if he kept the other talking he could buy some time for the Pines to arrive.  “I’m Soos!  What, uh, brings you to Gravity Falls?”

 

“Bill Cipher,” the demon introduced himself with a bow.  The hat floating just above his blonde covered head never moved.  Soos blinked at that.  “And sadly I’ve been here a while.”  The stretching smile disappeared briefly.  Soos felt his fear growing in its absence.  Its return did not quell the feeling, however.  Bill seemed cheerful enough.  “But now I’ve got my sapling to make it not so dreadfully mind numbing!”

 

“Are you a friend of Tad Strange?” Soos asked.  The smile completely dropped then.  Soos could feel the color draining from his own face as he waited for its return once again.

 

“No,” Bill said with clear disdain for the other demon.

 

The sneer on his face did not go away for some time.  Soos struggled not to tremble in fear.  He wasn’t trained in dealing with demons, especially not angry demons.  Bill’s mouth did eventually curve upwards, if only a little.  His eye flashed with a thought or emotion that Soos could not discern.  The demon took a slight step towards him.  The reaction was instantaneous.  Soos screamed before clumsily diving behind the cash register.  He groaned in pain as he met the floor on the other side.  He struggled to right himself in case he needed to run.  A sound filled the room that made his skin crawl.  Soos cautiously peeked over the counter to find the demon floating in the air, clutching at his sides while laughing with six black tentacles sprouting from his lower back.

 

“Oh, man,” Bill managed between rolling giggles.  He bent and twisted in the air until his front was parallel with the floor, his head towards Soos.  “Your face was priceless!  I’ve seen some good fearful reactions, but that was hilarious!”

 

Soos really didn’t know what to say.  He didn’t want to risk actually making this being angry.  He attempted a small laugh to join in with Bill.  Soos slowly stood up behind the counter.  At least he had a buffer between them now.  It probably wouldn’t do much good if the demon truly wanted to hurt him, though.  A weak smile formed on his face.  The sound of Bill’s laugh should have gotten the Pines’ attention, Soos hoped it had anyway.  He couldn’t tell if he felt better when those long legs touched the floor again or not.  Soos decided not when they carried the demon closer with only a couple strides.  The demon adjusted the bowtie adorning his collar.  Bill placed his arms on the counter and leaned over to be at Soos’ level.

 

“What are you exactly?” Bill asked as he lifted a hand to rest his chin on.  Soos took note of the blue flames dancing around the right arm.  The arm itself looked like a blackened skeleton.  “Mole-person?  Some rodent experiment gone wrong?  Did Sixer make you in his lab?”

 

“Huh?” Soos blinked, refocusing on that golden eye.  Was Bill implying he didn’t appear human?  Soos tried to work up a friendly demeanor.  The demon didn’t seem overly malicious, despite his appearance.  Maybe he was just a prankster, like the inspiration for poltergeists or something.  Soos shook his head with a smile.  “Nah, dude.  I’m just Soos.”

 

“Soos,” Stanley said from the entrance to the rest of the house.  The man was in an old white tank top and red polka dot boxers.  He looked concerned as his eyes shifted from his employee to the golden demon.  His slipper covered feet carried him further into the room with his cane in hand.  He tried to play off his worry as just surprise at seeing the younger man.  “Sorry I forgot to call, but we’re not opening the Shack today.  You can go home.”

 

“Oh, that’s okay, Mr. Pines,” Soos said with a carefree smile.  “I’ll just straighten the place up a bit.  Take care of that mess in the yard for you.”

 

“That’s alright, Soos,” Stan assured.  His eyes shifted to Bill briefly.  Soos was starting to pick up on the man’s uneasiness.  Bill simply offered the man his signature smile while his eye appeared to follow the cane.  “I was going to get Dipper right on that as soon as he gets up.”

 

“It’s no trouble, sir,” Soos insisted.

 

“Pine Tree could use the extra rest anyway, Stanley,” Bill said.  His smile was anything but friendly in the old man’s opinion.  This was exactly what Stan wanted to avoid.  Cipher was not getting the run of his house.  “And you and Sixer aren’t as spry as you used to be.”

 

“I’m spry enough,” Stanley countered with a glare.  His grip on his cane tightened.  Soos looked between the two with a confused expression.  “Don’t think I won’t kick your ass, Cipher!”

 

Bill smirked at the challenge.  He stood from the counter, his golden eye never leaving the human.  Stanley wasn’t sure whether he wanted to focus on it or the seemingly endless hole on the other side of the demon’s face.  It felt like that void wanted to suck him in, but he had seen that slit pupil in far too many of his nightmares.  He would not let this lunatic intimidate him, however.  Stanley stood his ground as Cipher walked around the counter to loom over him.  Their height difference only amused the deranged demon more.  Stanley’s courage was admirable.  Under different circumstances Bill could almost find himself liking the man.

 

“I’d like to see you try,” Bill goaded.  He let his tendrils wriggle about, knowing how much they unnerved humans.  It was certainly unnerving their one man audience.  Stanley didn’t seem to be paying them any mind, however.

 

“Back off, Cipher,” Stanley warned through gritted teeth.  He really did want to deck the demon, hard.  Unfortunately that would only worsen their current situation.  He placed his cane on the floor, the sound almost echoing in the silence.  Stan breathed in, then out before meeting Bill’s taunting gaze.  It certainly wasn’t making it any easier to keep calm.  “We’re on the same side here.”

 

“Oh, is that so?” Bill inquired.  He tilted his head.  His smile became sharper, more taunting and dangerous at the same time.  “Best not let Fordsy know.”

 

“What Ford does and doesn’t know hardly matters,” Stan got out.  He closed his eyes and swallowed.  This demon was seriously testing his ability to not punch someone in the face.  Luckily for Cipher he was taller, and that face was probably about eighty percent sharp teeth.  “I care about Dipper.  That’s all that matters to me.  Unless you’d like to state your true intentions with my grandnephew, I think we can come to at least some form of truce.  For his sake.”

 

The demon looked almost impressed with Stanley.  Bill stepped away to allow the man further into the room.  The man did not take it immediately.  He waited to see what the demon might be up to.  Cipher started to turn toward the stairs.  Stanley visibly relaxed, deciding their confrontation was over with.  How many more they would have was yet to be determined.  He glanced at Soos before finally, truly letting his guard down.  The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end.  Stanley stopped, realizing that Bill had not actually walked further into the house.  He gripped his cane tighter.  Silence fell once again while the Senior Man of Mystery waited.

 

“Perhaps I was wrong about you, Crescent,” Bill said far too cheerfully.  That nickname was enough to get under the man’s skin, and they both knew it.  Stanley closed his eyes, unwilling to let it show any further that the demon was getting to him.  The smile in Cipher’s tone showed that he was all too aware of what effect he was having.  “You’re not always the hot headed twin, are you?”

 

“I’m just looking out for my family,” Stanley said.  He internally congratulated himself on the lack of inflection in his voice.  He had spent years pretending not to care about various things, this was no different.  Cipher wouldn’t break him down.  It didn’t matter that the demon had seen inside his head.  That was thirty-odd years ago anyway.  He opened his eyes when he heard the monster walking away.

 

“He makes the most delicious moans, by the way,” Bill threw over his shoulder.  His laugh carried through the entire house once again.

 

Soos had no idea what the demon was talking about.  He decided he probably did not want to know.  Stanley had to take a moment of clenching and unclenching his fist.  He kept telling himself Cipher wouldn’t get to him.  He lifted a hand to wipe down his face.  It was far too early for Cipher’s shit.  Surely the demon was just taunting him further.  Stanley had no interest in truly finding out, but he did want to be sure Dipper was safe.  Why was he the one stuck dealing with this?

 

“Mr. Pines?” Soos asked, drawing the man out of his pity party.  “What did you want done with the mess on the lawn?”

 

“Just get rid of it,” Stan said tiredly.  He wiped at his face again before composing himself.  He should probably call Corduroy to make sure she didn’t come in as well.  Then again maybe she could handle Cipher.  Stanley truly doubted it, if Cipher really felt antagonistic.  She would probably enjoy the day off anyway.  “Dispose of it, and wash the side of the Shack.  Then you can go home.”

 

“Uh, sir?” Soos questioned.  He fidgeted for a moment, even after Stan gave the man his full attention.  “Who exactly was that?”

 

“Don’t concern yourself with it, Soos,” Stanley brushed off.  He really didn’t need this right now.  The look Soos gave him was a clear sign that this couldn’t just be dropped, however.  Hiding this from those closest to the family was wrong, after all.  Still, it was bad enough that Dipper and Mabel were dragged into this.  Stan sighed.  “He’s Dipper’s demon.”

 

“Dipper has a Guardian?” Soos blurted out.  He looked shocked, but it would soon give way to excitement.  Stanley knew this all too well.  At least Soos could be happy for the kid.  Stan nodded, though he had no interest in using that word to describe Bill Cipher.  Soos got to work soon after that, but the man would likely want to hang around.  Someone needed to congratulate Dipper after all.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soos survived! Let's just hope others are as lucky, or not. Some of them could use a dose of Bill after all. ;D  
> Anyway, I'll have the next chapter up in a little over a week. It and its following chapter kicked my ass pretty hard with a number of rewrites, but I think I got it down. I'll let you be the judge when I update.
> 
> For now:  
> Girzmtovh zmw hjfzivh lmxv xlfow nrc. Ylgs yoznv gsv ulfi hrwvw uli gsv hsrug.


	21. Gaining Information and Scrapbooking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is finally allowed answers, though perhaps not from the source he thought. He has a lot to think about at the start of this new day, unknowing of the risk Strange took. Dipper needs time to think while Bill needs to be sure his human will not be used against him. Too bad Mabel still hasn't learned about others' need for privacy. At least other members of the Pines family have steered clear of a particular hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another weekend, another chapter at about three in the morning! Adding to this and reading your comments really gets me pumped, I have to say. I am so glad all of you are enjoying my little version of this particular AU, and that more people are finding it. Please, continue to enjoy and let me know your thoughts on this chapter, the story so far, my style, and anything else.
> 
> Warnings: exposition, possible Tad and Dipper bonding, angry Bill, injured/scared Tad, m|m kissing (making out), confused Dipper, unintentional cock-blocking

 

 

Dipper groaned and shifted on his bed.  It wasn't the most comfortable, but it likely beat sleeping on the couch or floor.  He ducked his head to avoid the stream of light coming in from outside.  He didn't understand why Bill had opened the window.  Dipper lifted his head to ask the demon to close it.  He noticed then that Bill wasn't even in the room with him.  He mumbled to himself as he chucked the sheet and got up to fix the problem himself.  The sound of Bill’s laughter made it up to his room.  Dipper groaned again at the thought of what his demon could possibly be doing.  It likely wasn't anything good.  Bill was probably going out of his way to antagonize Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford.  Dipper could imagine the demon coming up with ways to mess with Mabel as well.  That definitely did not sit well with him.  Bill was going to drive them all insane.  There had to be some way to make him stop.

 

A knock on his door startled Dipper.  He stared at it a moment before darting for his discarded shirt and shorts.  Dipper composed himself as he walked over to open the door.  The brunet had expected one of his grunkles to be there telling him to get control of his demon.  Dipper doubted Bill Cipher was controllable.  In fact it had been made quite clear that if Bill really wanted something there was no stopping him.  Instead Tad was at his door, apparently prepared to knock again.  The two started at each other for a moment.

 

“I was hoping we could talk a moment, Dipper,” Tad said.  Dipper blinked up at the purple demon.  “May I come in?”

 

“Sure,” Dipper responded a little awkwardly.  He stepped back into his room so that Tad could enter.

 

Tad was always calm from what Dipper had seen.  It helped put him at ease.  Admittedly he had thought the worst.  Hearing Bill laughing just sounded like a cause for alarm.  The demon was likely making his family miserable.  Given that Tad was up here, however, it must not be too bad.  It meant that there wasn't some demon brawl going on downstairs.  It also meant that Tad did not feel he needed to be near Mabel to protect her.  She was likely still sleeping.  It did beg the question of why Tad Strange had come to Dipper.  He was wearing the sweater Mabel knitted for him with purple pinstripe pants.

 

“What exactly did you want to talk about?” Dipper asked.  He walked back to his bed to sit down.  He didn't know how long this would take, or even what it was about.  It likely had something to do with his Guardian, though.

 

“I owe you my apologies on a few accounts,” Tad confessed.  A look of regret passed over his face.  His eyes focused on the floor a moment before shifting to the left.  “As you know, I am the reason Bill was trapped in that statue form for so long.”  Tad sighed before straightening up.  He felt it was only right that he looked Dipper in the face for this.  The brunet deserved the truth after all.  “I also lied about my reason for staying here rather than seeking out Mabel.”

 

“I understand,” Dipper said.  He fidgeted and glanced away from his sister’s Guardian.  It had become clear when bits of Bill’s past with the Pines family were revealed.  The Stan twins had been worried about the golden demon’s return and having Tad close by could help limit the damage caused if and when that happened.  “You don’t owe me anything, but perhaps Mabel should hear your reasoning.  Not that it would matter to her, I don’t think.”

 

“I have every intention of confessing this to her,” Tad said with a slight incline of his head.  Just as soon as he was done here, and Mabel was awake, they would discuss it.  For now Dipper deserved answers, too.  Perhaps there was some selfishness involved as well.  It was hard to determine how Bill would spin things if he was the one to tell Dipper.  His brother could be rather blunt.  “You deserve to know our past, too.  Bill and I were not always so at odds.”

 

Dipper blinked up at the purple clad demon at that.  Tad had since lowered his head with that same regretful expression.  It confused him a little.  Judging by the Stan twins, especially Great Uncle Ford, Bill was a being that should never be trusted.  Seeing this side of Tad, however, suggested that it was not Bill that had caused their falling out.  Not solely at least.    There was obviously a falling out.  Dipper guessed that much by watching the strained interactions between the demons.  He could also recall Bill’s brief discussion about comradeship among his species.  His Guardian had clearly gained a dislike for the term “brother” at some point.  Although to think Tad was the cause of it was surprising.

 

“You were brothers,” Dipper realized.  He watched the other’s reaction to the word.  It only seemed to make that remorse intensify.  “Bill said the word was used like comrade or friend.”

 

“We were,” Tad managed after regaining his calm demeanor.  There were obvious cracks in his composed mask.  “I quite literally would not be here if not for him.  He was my protector and mentor.  He led us against our oppressors.  When that didn’t pan out he showed us how to hide ourselves from them.  I entered this world by his side when the portals began materializing.”

 

“You were part of the group that helped humans against the other faction,” Dipper said.  Realization and awe shown in his mocha colored eyes.  It shouldn’t be that surprising to him, honestly.  Sure it was known that some demons had stayed out of the fighting all together, and others had materialized in their world since then, but Tad had made it no secret that he had been around for quite some time.

 

“No,” Tad shook his head with a nostalgic smile.  He chuckled softly before continuing.  “We were not just part of that group.  Bill was the rallying force behind it.  He has, or had a way of helping others realize what they want.  He saw the potential in humanity.”  His smile broadened as he stared at Dipper.

 

The brunet stared back blankly at first.  Tad seemed to be implying something that Dipper was struggling to grasp.  The purple demon nodded when he caught the look of understanding.  Dipper had the opportunity to learn from the very demon that had first taught humanity to harness their gift.  His Guardian was the same demon that rose up to aid humans against the invading forces.  Dipper suddenly felt the need to sit down.  He barely got to his bed as the thoughts came crashing down on him.  How many would give anything to be in his position?  It sounded like a great honor, but Dipper only felt anxious in that moment.  What if he didn’t meet expectations?  The fear of Bill not thinking him worthy was all too real.

 

“What did actually happen afterwards?” Dipper questioned weakly.  He had to know the truth.  He at least needed one side of the story.  Honestly he felt it should be Bill he was hearing this from, but surely his Guardian would tell him if he asked.

 

“We struggled,” Tad said mournfully.  He sighed before going on.  “We needed order, but no one was willing to follow those they deemed unworthy.  Those of us that looked up to Bill pushed him to lead us as he had in battle.”  Tad paused to close his eyes and breathe.  Dipper watched the pained creases appear in that pinched expression.  “I knew he wanted nothing to do with it.  He would have been content to take the few of us far from the others and humanity alike.  I was too afraid that everything would plunge into chaos if we did that.”

 

Dipper remained silent as Tad went on.  It was clear the demon had kept this inside for some time.  Guilt repeatedly crossed his features as he talked about convincing Bill to remain with the other demons.  The human could imagine the what-ifs that plagued Tad Strange throughout the centuries since.  All the same it appeared that the demon had convinced himself that it had been meant to set a certain path up to this point.  Dipper hoped the other didn’t think he was passing judgment on him.  Tad honestly sounded like he had felt his actions were justified, and Dipper couldn’t fault him for that.  Sure it had resulted in some unfortunate events, but good things had come out of it, too.

 

It helped him to see a bit of who his Guardian once was as well.  Bill had at one point just been looking out for those he cared about.  The golden demon he knew surely had a violent streak, but Tad’s tale gave Dipper an idea of where that came from.  Demons respected power, but believed themselves above others until proven otherwise much of the time.  Bill had been forced to prove his power over others.  It had cracked something inside him, or perhaps some part of Cipher had already broken down.  Either way Bill had proven his power, and a willingness to tear down his fellow demon.

 

“It was my fault,” Tad confessed.  Whether that was true or not, Dipper had no way of truly knowing.  Tad seemed to hold all the blame, or at least an awful amount of it.  Perhaps it had not been right to push Bill into the position of leadership, but surely he was capable of outright refusing if he really didn’t want it.  Dipper hadn’t been there, so he had no way of knowing for sure.  “I tried to be the balance we needed, but I wasn’t strong enough, or wasn’t committed enough.  Perhaps ruthlessness is really what was needed to keep us together.”

 

Bill had apparently proven himself capable of that much.  It was for a good cause; by the way Tad spun it.  The purple demon had been trying to protect a weaker demon.  The surrounding group had been too much for him to keep back.  Then Bill had stepped in.  The others didn’t want to listen to him either, until his claws were buried in the apparent initial instigator’s chest.  They all backed down then, and the small diamond shaped demon began hanging out with Bill and his close circle.  It should have been a red flag, but no one really paid it any mind past not getting on the golden demon’s bad side.

 

Unfortunately Tad was one of those that gave into the fear.  They had fled the Nightmare Realm because of the highborn, a royal class of demons that thrived on absorbing the power of their lessers.  Many demons had been reduced to a state of struggling just to remain solid because of them.  Tad, admittedly, had known Bill was capable of absorbing other's energy before the rather public display of such abilities.  The golden demon had been horrified by the discovery then, though.  Tad had never thought Cipher would be pushed that far.  He should have seen the pressure his brother was forced under.

 

The betrayal was indeed committed because of that fear.  A fear that he could be absorbed, that all of them could cease to be if Bill so chose.  What Tad truly feared, however, was that Bill Cipher was losing himself.  The golden demon had rallied them against the highborn that stole away their energy, their very life force.  Surely the Bill he had known for so long would be appalled to find himself succumbing to using such tactics.  Sadly he was among beings that did not know Bill as he did, and Tad was forced to discover a way that his brother could come back to himself while his cohorts simply wanted the demon to perish.  Humanity still had limited means of weakening demons, and certainly had no way to truly dispose of them outside of chucking them back through the portals.  No demon was willing to resort to the highborn and Bill’s method.  For one they did not want to stoop to their level.  Secondly the power that Bill likely possessed by that point may very well drive anyone else insane.

 

“It was humans that cast the spell to split him in two,” Tad said.  Dipper was still watching the demon like a child learning of some grand adventure.  He didn’t want to interrupt anything.  Tad prepared himself to reveal another secret he had kept from...well, the world really.  “Meanwhile I sought a way for us to coexist and hopefully learn from one another.  I didn’t want others to lose themselves as Bill had, and I didn’t want the distrust between humans and demons to continue on.  I convinced others to join me toward the second endeavor.”

 

“You’re talking about the spell binding specific humans and demons, right?” Dipper asked.

 

“Yes,” Tad replied with a nod.  He glanced to the still open window.  His bottom lip was dragged between his teeth before he managed to continue.  “I know I said it was random, but that is not entirely true.”

 

“I suppose there is a reason it took so long to take effect with him, then,” Dipper suggested.  This directly pertained to him, and perhaps why his symbol never showed up until now.  That part could still just be whatever wards surrounded Gravity Falls, and Bill specifically.

 

“I am not entirely sure about that myself,” Tad confessed.  He closed his eyes before directing his full attention back to Dipper.  “It is likely a combination of factors.  The need for him to be whole is no doubt one of them.  Other than that, well, as we discovered you needed to be close enough.  Lastly, as has been a thought of mine while waiting for his Charge to appear, he needed to accept you, or whoever it turned out to be.  I doubted that the symbols bonding you would be enough for him.”

 

“My birthmark?” Dipper whispered with more speculation than pure realization.  Bill had shown an odd fascination with the mark.  He didn’t know what significance the constellation held for the demon.  Could it really be what was keeping Bill around?  His hand instinctively went up to his forehead.  Dipper caught Tad blinking at him with a confused expression.  He cleared his throat.  “I was born with the Big Dipper on my forehead.”

 

“Ursa Major?” Tad asked for clarification.  Dipper nodded as he pushed his bangs back to reveal the mark.  The purple demon cautiously approached to get a better look.  His violet eyes widened, it truly was there.  He bent with his hand poised to… Tad quickly straightened up with his arms forced still at his sides.  He had no right to touch, but it did bring a smile to his face seeing the constellation.

 

It was not Tad’s place to tell Dipper the significance of his birthmark.  Bill would likely tell the human if only he asked.  In all honesty much of this should have been gained from the golden demon instead of Tad.  He didn’t know how his brother would word it.  It wasn’t being painted as a traitor that worried Strange.  He was all too aware of what he was.  Tad just worried that the other demon wouldn’t be as delicate in his depictions.  It was far too likely that Dipper would end up seeing his Guardian as a power hungry monster.  Enough had in the past, enough still did.  This was the one human meant to stay by Bill’s side.  Tad couldn’t let that be tainted by any sense of fear or misunderstanding.  Someone had to remain at his brother’s side, especially since he was no longer trusted to do so.

 

Dipper mulled over the information Tad had shared with him.  It felt good to finally have some answers.  At least the purple demon didn’t seem to be painting Bill as some irredeemable monster.  Tad truly appeared to want a balance for his brother.  Dipper still needed his Guardian’s side of things, of course.  He didn’t think Bill would deny him such answers, but there was always the possibility of information being withheld.  Bill might not be comfortable looking back on those memories.  Dipper would just have to be careful when obtaining his answers.  Despite the strength of their bond there was still a lot of trust that needed to be gained for both sides.

 

The human excused himself to head down the stairs.  He needed to get ready for the day ahead, whatever that might bring.  Dipper’s cheeks took on a pink tinge as his thoughts drifted to the night before.  There was still the lingering fear that he had messed up.  He just hadn’t been ready for the next step.  Bill could understand that, right?  Dipper hoped he hadn’t taken it personally.  They could build up to it, couldn’t they?  Dipper shook his head to dispel the thoughts.  He didn’t want to start panicking over the possibilities.  Just the fact that Bill had shown an interest in him felt so overwhelming.  Not that others hadn’t at least called him cute in the past.  Dipper just fit the nerd stereotype a bit too much for most people.  This wasn’t high school, however, but still his own Guardian was surely out of his league.

 

Then again if Bill didn’t think Dipper was so far beneath him, the brunet wasn’t about to try convincing him otherwise.  He certainly wouldn’t mind being beneath the demon.  Dipper shut himself in the bathroom before anyone could see the darkening of his cheeks and face.  He pressed his back against the door as he tried to calm down.  His family could not catch him reacting to such trains of thought.  Unfortunately Dipper had never been able to keep his thoughts hidden.  His face gave far too much away.  He certainly didn’t have Tad’s calm persona.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A gold eye followed the brunet’s path as he headed for the bathroom at a quickened pace.  Even at this distance the pink tinge of Dipper’s cheeks was apparent.  Bill snickered at the brief images that touched his mind courtesy of their link.  His human was far too easily riled up it seemed.  The hints of worry that followed were less welcome.  The golden demon frowned at what could suddenly cause his Pine Tree such feelings.  He didn’t have much time to ponder this cause before the door to the attic creaked open once more.

 

Bill watched in disbelief as none other than Tad Strange exited the room meant for his sapling.  The purple demon closed the door carefully before turning to descend the stairs and see what the others were up to.  Tad froze on the second to the last step as his eyes finally lifted forward.  His violet gaze locked with that single golden eye.  He internally berated himself for being stupid enough to exit Dipper’s room in such a way.  He knew Cipher would not be investigating Soos for long.  The other’s expression remained blank.  Tad couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not.  Likely Bill was only trying to work out why he would be visiting Dipper.  Likely the answer he came to would not please the golden demon.  Tad forced his legs to descend those last few steps.  Unfortunately the dread of Bill’s conclusions showed in the shaking limbs.  Why did he still feel fear when around his brother?

 

There was no immediate reaction.  Perhaps Bill was struggling to believe the answers he perceived.  Tad had no way of knowing until the other demon actually did something.  His eyes flashed to the minute movement of a clenching fist.  Bill’s right hand closed tightly as the blank expression shifted to one of rage.  Violet eyes widened as they refocused on the once golden one.  A growl was Tad’s only warning before his brother rushed him.  His body locked up rather than allowing him to dart out of the way.  Tad closed his eyes tightly so he wouldn’t have to see that angry red pupil watching him.

 

Tad gasped for air as a claw wrapped around his throat.  He felt the floor disappear beneath him as his back hit and scraped against the wall.  His hands instinctively went to the arm holding him up.  The memories of being in this position before assaulted him.  Tad could recall the sensation of his energy leaving him, the emotions when watching others be drained away.  That did not come, thankfully.  Bill’s claws did dig into the flesh of his neck, however.  Tad bit his bottom lip before forcing his eyes open.  The crimson inside a void of black stared back at him, much darker than the gaping hole on the right side of the other’s face.  He struggled to find words that might appease his brother only to have that vice grip tighten further.  Tad winced as Bill leaned in, putting weight on that arm keeping the purple demon from touching the floor.

 

“Ȋ̯̻̉̚t̡̻̺͖̣̖̏̅͆͒ͦ̋ ̧̭͉͈͉ͤ̇͑̄̒i̥͌͌̿̋͊͆̍͠s̮̝̼͙̐͐̌͐ͦ̇n̰̪̬͓ͪ'͋t̮̼͉̤̤̳͇̉̾̏͆̄ͥ̚͘ ͇̭̪̓ͫ̽̀e̼̣̗͋̍̽̇̌n̗̫̹̟͚͈̩o͗͋̔ͪ͂͐̈́͝ṵ̵̜̼̜̆̈ͮ͐g̷̫ͣ̎͋h͔̝͉͎̣͙̫ͩ̕ ̬̠̮̙͛̐̊̃̅̔̄f̲̩̮͚͍̿ͅö̰̹̱͓̻́̅ͥ̆͋̐ͧr͖̦̘̜̪̍͘ ͎̍ͪ̋͗͡ỵ̥͕̺̹̖ͩͪ̽͐o̮͑͐ǔ̮̥̲̝̳̻̀̑ͅ,̢̭̾̉ ̏ͩ͑ͧ͗̎ͭi̻ͧs̟ i͚͝t͉͗͒͛̔́?” Bill snarled with fangs inches from the other’s face.  “You’re already using him, and now you want to fully turn him against me!  P͔͖ͦͬ̐̿͊ͩͅi̤̗ṉ͖̀͗͒ͅe̝̊ͬ ̣̤̅̑̕ͅT͓̤̠̜̟̥̠̂̓̑͌ͧͣr̫̞͓͛͛̄ͩͅe̪̫̣̜̱͞ë̟̝̪̮̹̺́ ͕͍͍͙̮̘́̀͆̍iͨ́͆s̴͕̬̭̖̰̭̟͌͗ͮ̍ ͍̼̮̝̻̮͍̆̑͑̅̏̆́m̎̎̄̅͏̠̯̣ͅi͚͍̹̰͎͇͋̎n͙̮̪͉͈͖̽̽͂̑ͧe͕̻͈̲̯͇͓͊ͮͯ̇ͭͦ, and that is the only reason I’m playing your little game.  S̻̖̗͕ͧ̇ͣt͗͒̈́̉̓҉͕̯͈ą̠̠̠̰̅͗̃̾̏y͙̒ ̺͍͉͐̄ͅa̰͇̜ͣͭͦ̇̑̐͞ͅw̐́a̻͙̬̣̥͓̾͐͡ͅy͐ͦ͗̊ͯ͋҉̝̤̬ ̖̱̹̤̪̜̓f̌ͭ̃̇̓͒ͩ͏̙̳͚r̮̩̝̣̘͍̣ͪ̑ͦo̒͑m̽͋̇͏͖̻̩̰̤̘̦ ̳̤̻͒̌̓ͫ̏ͫ͜h͓̩͉͂̋͋ͨ̆ͯi̩̯͔͈͊ͬ̒ͤm̧͓̮̥̩ͥ̒͗ͥ!”

 

The force holding him against the wall suddenly retracted and Tad fell to the floor.  He managed to catch himself on his hands.  His left immediately went to his neck as he choked on the sudden ability to breathe.  There was a dampness sticking to the sides of his throat.  Tad squeezed his eyes shut.  He knew his hand would come away covered in violet liquid.  He couldn’t help thinking that he was lucky that was all he had incurred so far.  It was hard to keep the whimper that threatened to pass his lips quiet.  He wheezed before opening his eyes.  His gaze fell on the casual, laced up, pointed toe, black leather Oxfords.  Tad swallowed before forcing his eyes to travel upwards to meet the sneering gaze the other watched him with.

 

Judging by the way Bill’s claws flexed and twitched, he wanted to tear into the other more.  He couldn’t end Tad, not really, not without going for his Charge first.  That wasn’t an option if he was to keep Pine Tree on his side.  No, this traitor didn’t need any help in turning his sapling against him.  Bill scoffed as he turned away.  Tad was a traitorous bastard, but he did have some principles.  Bill was pretty sure the other did not have a death wish either, but that was debatable.  Either way the purple clad demon was likely to slink away when given the chance.  Strange took the opportunity he was given and teleported away.

 

Bill’s temper was still flaring.  He could have done so much more to Strange.  He should have torn him apart.  Bill saw red as he walked down the hallway.  There was also the worry about what exactly Tad had said to Dipper.  Surely the square could not actually turn Pine Tree against him, but there was still that inkling of doubt.  Bill had to know what they had discussed, or at least find a way to dispel whatever fear it had caused in his sapling.  He stopped at the door he could sense his human behind.  Bill breathed out slowly with his eye closed.  If he wasn’t calm then there was no chance that Pine Tree would be.  The last thing he wanted to do was scare Dipper.  The brunet was his, and nothing would change that.  Bill would make sure the world knew it, too.

 

The crimson slit returned to black inside shining gold by the time the door clicked open.  Dipper stepped out only to pause and look up at his demon.  His brown eyes blinked up at the single glowing yellow.  Blunt teeth dragged over his bottom lip.  He had not expected to see Bill again so soon.  Dipper had at least thought that he would have time to get his questions in order.  In that moment his mind was rather blank outside of the flashes of Bill’s emotions coming through their link.  Something had angered the demon, and that was certainly worrying.  Dipper had trouble telling if the growing concern was entirely his own.  His head lowered from looking up at Bill.  The demon froze after a slight step forward.

 

The brunet used his tongue to wet his rather dry lips as the silence dragged on between them.  The anxiety was beginning to feel less his own in that moment.  He could tell that Bill’s anger was weakening, had weakened.  Had Dipper’s shift in focus affected the demon that much?  Admittedly it had been rather sudden.  Perhaps his reaction had come off as fearful.  Dipper frowned at the thought.  Was he still afraid of his Guardian?  He was not so sure of the answer.  Regardless of what it really was, the human was determined to make it a resounding ‘no.’  Mocha eyes lifted back to his demon’s face.  Dipper’s lips turned up in a smile that he hoped was friendly and welcoming.  It didn’t feel forced at least.  He tried to focus on any tension still in his body in order to relieve it.  Why was it always so hard for him to just relax?

 

That slit pupil moved from focusing on Dipper’s eyes to his lips for just a moment.  The pink color rising on the brunet’s cheeks revealed that the motion had not gone unnoticed.  His thoughts returned to the events of the night before.  Dipper’s eyes fell to his demon’s lips.  It had felt good to have them press against his own.  He subconsciously sucked his bottom lip into his mouth.  Their link was unnecessary for Bill to tell what his human was thinking.  Those hesitant chocolate eyes gave it away completely.  Bill’s lips curved into a soft humanesque smile.

 

Dipper didn’t move a muscle as Bill shortened the limited distance between them.  His eyes never left the demon’s face even at the cold touch.  Bill’s right hand gently grasped his sapling’s chin.  He felt the slight shiver pass through the brunet.  Whether it was caused by the chilling blue flames or a sense of anticipation was unclear.  Bill moved his hand to cradle Dipper’s cheek as he bent closer.  His left hand braced against the doorframe.  The heat of embarrassment and anticipation continued to rise within Dipper.  The twenty year old swallowed before gathering the courage to help close the distance.  He forced his eyes shut as he felt the light pressure against his lips.  He felt as well as heard the satisfied hum Bill let out.

 

The press of lips was soft even as that cold burning hand went into brown locks.  Dipper briefly worried about his hair catching fire, but if his face had been fine then surely the rest of him would be, too.  The combination of this rationalizing and the sensations eased Dipper.  He felt his knees wobble as a tongue lightly brushed over his lips.  An involuntary moan escaped him just before something wrapped around his waist to help him remain upright.  His hands hesitantly lifted until they made contact with Bill’s shoulders.  They fisted in the yellow fabric as Dipper kissed back.  His thoughts fogged over in a wave of lightheadedness.

 

It felt like Dipper was floating off the ground then.  His hands remained fisted in the fabric at Bill’s shoulders.  Dipper was pressed against his demon.  He was vaguely aware of bending his neck to keep contact with the blond’s lips.  There was a hand at his back while a limb encircled his waist and another wrapped around his legs just above his knees.  The hand in his hair tangled in the brown locks.  Air was surely becoming a problem for him.  Dipper’s hair was tugged lightly as the kiss was broken off.  Sure enough he panted for the oxygen he had previously neglected.  Small huffs escaped Dipper as he felt the mouth once against his own move to his jaw line.  The hand in his hair slid down to the back of his neck.  Dipper moved his arms to wrap around Bill in that moment.

 

Bill froze up at the acute awareness of Dipper’s arms.  They were positioned just above that accursed symbol.  What would happen if his sapling made contact with it?  He would rather not find out.  While touching his human’s mark seemed to help calm the other, Bill had no intention of being controlled by that simple touch.  Thankfully Pine Tree seemed too occupied with getting air back into his lungs to notice Bill’s shift in comfort level.  The hand over the triangle on his neck made Dipper shiver.  His left hand lifted into golden locks as he turned his head to seek out Bill’s lips once more.

 

This kiss was more awkward than the last.  Dipper attempted a different angle.  Surely he wasn’t this inexperienced.  No, he likely was given his lack of practice.  His doubts were resurfacing, mostly regarding Bill’s tolerance of him.  The demon wasn’t just humoring him, was he?  Surely Bill felt something here, too, or he wouldn’t kiss Dipper back.  At first he wasn’t kissing back, and it only made Dipper feel worse.  When the brunet was about to pull away, however, those lips followed him with renewed vigor.  Dipper’s doubts melted away with the rest of his thoughts, especially when that chilled hand pressed against the area of his mark.  His left hand ran through that silky gold hair as he let his other arm just dangle over Bill’s shoulder.

 

The demon struggled with the knowledge that Pine Tree was awfully close to that mark.  He dreaded the kid touching it, honestly.  Bill Cipher had no interest in discovering what it would do to him.  Likely it would only be the start of his descent.  His sapling had enough control over him as is.  He wished Pine Tree would just put his hands back on his shoulders.  It didn’t matter if the brunet rumpled his clothes.  They could just be fixed with a snap of his fingers, after all.  What could not be so easily undone was the loss of his own willpower.  Dipper may be important to Bill, but his independence was one thing he would not sacrifice.  He would not become another lowly pet dependant on a master’s whims.

 

Fighting against the thoughts of such a future distracted from the bliss that should have come with his sapling’s embrace.  It was only as Dipper began to pull away that Bill pulled himself together.  He couldn’t have his human doubting him.  Bill really shouldn’t be doubting Pinetree’s intentions either.  Dipper relaxed against him once again at the returned contact.  The blond felt it through their bond just as much as their physical contact as his sapling melted.  The hand ruffling his hair was a welcome distraction from the unneeded thoughts.

 

There was a faint click and whirl to the right that caught Bill’s attention.  His human had apparently not been alerted by it, though.  That was when Dipper moved his right arm.  The skin of his arm very briefly made contact with the exact center of the blue pine tree marking Bill.  The reaction was just as instant and unexpected for all involved.  Dipper felt his back hit the wall a bit too forcefully.  A tongue suddenly invaded his mouth when he gasped in surprise and pain.  The hand that had previously been at his back was pushing up under his shirt while the other was back in his hair.  His feet still could not reach the floor beneath him, but he was no longer bending his neck to reach Bill.  The demon was pressing him into the wall as he claimed Dipper’s mouth.  That was the only word the brunet could come up with to describe what was being done to him.  He would have been distracted only by the sensation of something pressing against his leg if not for the crash and gasp to his left.

 

Bill pulled back when Dipper’s hands started pressing at his shoulders.  The brunet instantly swung his head to stare at the source of the noise.  The demon followed that gaze to the open door and familiar figure of Mabel Pines.  Shooting Star looked just as shocked to see them.  Bill’s eye drifted down to the pieces of some contraption at her sock covered feet.  Dipper was the next to notice the broken camera Mabel had dropped.  He struggled out of Bill’s hold to see if anything was salvageable.  The demon watched silently as it finally seemed to dawn on the brunette before she, too, tried to pick up the broken pieces.

 

There was a piece of paper that fell from her hand in the process.  Bill summoned it to him.  It was a photograph of some sort.  When he turned it over to see the image his eye widened in shock.  Shooting Star had taken a picture of Pine Tree and himself kissing.  He shifted his gaze back to the brunette with a glare.  What did she plan to do with this?  What right did she have to intrude on his time with Pine Tree?  Bill refrained from torching the photograph just yet.  The two humans were too busy trying to salvage the lost camera to notice the angry demon at that moment.

 

“What were you doing, Mabel?” Dipper asked.  He was beginning to realize that the camera was unfixable.  The pieces it had shattered into were not capable of being put back together in workable order.  He really hoped Mabel had a back up.

 

“Making another Scrapbookatunity, obviously,” Mabel said in her defense.  It wasn’t everyday her brother had his lips stuck to another after all.

 

“You’re usually more careful than this,” Dipper pointed out.  It was true at least.  Mabel certainly didn’t go around breaking her items for fun.

 

“Well, you usually aren’t having intense make-out sessions with hot demon-guys either,” Mabel countered, knowing exactly the reaction it would get.  She lifted her head to watch Dipper’s face turn crimson from embarrassment.  Her smile could either be reassuring or teasing.  Sometimes even Dipper was uncertain.

 

“Why would you watch me kiss someone?” Dipper demanded with his embarrassment still showing.

 

“I told you, Scrapbookatunity,” Mabel said as though her brother was missing the obvious.  Her hands moved to her hips.  She looked much less authoritative in the purple nightgown she was sporting.  “Besides, I didn’t think he would start eating your face more than kissing it.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry, Tad. Things will get better for him, maybe, hopefully, eventually. It also seems like Dipper isn't the only one with doubts and insecurities. We'll have to wait and find out where it all leads. Let me know how the distorted text is working out. I am afraid it makes the words too unreadable, but the document I use has less space between lines. Let me know if it's a problem and I'll adjust it. Until next time!
> 
> gilfyormt gslftsgh zmw szfmgrmt nvnlirvh


	22. Reflections and Interruptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill realizes he is still getting used to the idea of having a human of his own. It doesn't help that much of his existence until now has been spent considering those in a similar situation were to be his enemies. Meanwhile Stanford has his own set of horrors to face. Perhaps it has not gone as down hill as he assumes. He still has his family after all, but it seems the town is not on their side. Gideon, as usual, is determined to grind the Pines family under his heel except for his darling Mabel of course. She would rather he fell in a hole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess Friday is my posting day now. I've been going through your comments both old and the more recent. I really appreciate them and the kudos that let me know the interest so many have taken in my writing. I don't know exactly how to put into words how much each of these responses mean to me. All I can really say is that I love each and every one of you and hope I can continue to create works you will come to enjoy.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Bill (seriously who could be a jerk to Mabel?), dark thoughts, some hinted exposition maybe, Dipper angst, Stanford is not okay, hint of things Stanley does not want discussed at breakfast, townspeople being brainwashed by Gideon, dead bodies, officer Stanford Pines: grammar department, implied/hinted Manly Dan/Tyler Cutebiker

 

 

Bill silently watched the exchange between his human and the one bound to Tad Strange.  His gloved claw fisted at his side, crumpling the photograph the girl had taken.  What did Shooting Star hope to accomplish by having such a picture?  What was this ‘scrapbook-tunity’ she kept talking about?  Bill didn’t like it, and he certainly didn’t like the fact that Tad’s little brat had stolen his sapling’s attention.  The two humans seemed completely oblivious to his very existence as they tried to gather up the pieces of the broken camera.  At least Pine Tree seemed upset with the girl.

 

“Why wouldn’t you just use your phone’s camera?” Dipper asked.

 

“How would I put the pictures in my scrapbook, Bro-bro?” Mabel countered as though her brother was the one being ridiculous.  In truth Dipper was being rather ridiculous to think that his sister would be reasonable.

 

“There are printers that work with wifi,” Dipper said.  Sure there wasn’t one in the Mystery Shack, but the town had to have at least one such device.

 

“Not here there isn’t,” Mabel pointed out.  She put her hands on her hips.  “I’m not going to waste time looking for a printer when I can get a camera that instantly produces a photograph.  Now where did it go?”

 

“I believe you’re after this, Shooting Star,” Bill said as he held up the crumpled photograph.  He was honestly still debating about just setting it aflame.  That would certainly teach the girl to mind her own business.

 

“You crumpled it,” Mabel realized with a falling expression.  That was meant to become a happy memory for her brother to look back on, and Bill had ruined it.  Did he really not want his picture taken that much?

 

“It’s okay, Mabel,” Dipper said in hopes of lifting her falling spirits.  He hated it when Mabel got upset.  Surely they could fix this, and her camera.  “Bill can fix it.”  He turned his attention to his Guardian with a hopeful expression.  “You can fix it, right?”

 

“Why would I want to?” Bill asked.  His expression was blank save for the lifted brow.  He clearly had no interest in doing anything for Mabel.  Dipper hoped that didn’t mean he would be denied asking on her behalf.

 

“Please, Bill,” Dipper tried.  Perhaps his partner just needed to know the significance of the picture.  “Mabel just wants to put it in a scrapbook for us to look back on in the future.  She likes to save the memories the events hold.”

 

Judging by the continued expression of indifference the demon wasn’t moved.  His eye was focused on the pleading expression on Dipper’s face, however.  Clearly the brunet cared for Shooting Star.  Pine Tree had forsaken continued contact with him for the brat.  Bill’s anger must have shown given the fear he felt from his sapling’s end of their link.  Why did that matter to him so much?  It should not even faze him.  Near countless beings had feared Bill’s very name, and now this one human’s perception of him suddenly meant everything.  It would take next to nothing to reform that contraption.  It would likely take less for Bill to just leave the two to their own devices.  Why wasn’t that option more appealing to him?

 

Bill could easily come to the simple conclusion.  It was painfully obvious, really.  He had fallen into the same trap as so many others.  He was no better than Strange.  He was weak, obedient, and all too ready to pander to every whim of this mortal creature that had existed for barely two decades.  Why, because of the stupid brandings that supposedly connected them?  Because this mortal was gifted a set of stars at birth?  Bill Cipher was not some pet!  He could easily snap both of them in half if he so desired.  Frankly he would love nothing more in that moment.  Wait, no, that wasn’t true.  Was it?  He didn’t want to hurt Pine Tree.  Bill knew Shooting Star was important to his human.  If he did anything to her it would negatively affect his sapling.  He needed Dipper to trust him.

 

Didn’t that make him weak?  Bill Cipher pandering to some inexperienced flesh bag.  He could just imagine the laughs that could garner from his enemies.  It shouldn’t matter, though.  It never mattered before.  He could easily prove them wrong.  Here he was, though, pandering to a human.  Was that what Bill Cipher was reduced to now?  Surely not, surely he just wanted his sapling to be happy and comfortable around him.  Then where were these fears of becoming a weak willed slave coming from?

 

The demon suddenly snapped his fingers.  Dipper watched the anger disappear to be replaced with a completely neutral expression.  Somehow he could tell it was forced.  Bill didn’t want his thoughts revealed to anyone for one reason or another.  Mabel’s squeal of joy distracted her brother from the golden demon.  The brunette was hugging her magically repaired camera.  Dipper smiled before turning back to his Guardian.  The smile vanished when the human took in the demon’s stance.  Bill was looking at the wall in a way that blocked Dipper from seeing his eye.  He could feel the other’s confliction, though.  Dipper just didn’t know what his partner was conflicted over exactly.

 

“Thank you, Bill,” Mabel said, drawing the attention of both.  Her shining smile was in place as she stood with the camera in her arms.  She broke eye contact with the demon after failing to read the expression on his face past one of bored indifference.  Her next words were a little hesitant.  “You can keep the picture.”  Mabel’s smile returned before she headed back into her room.  “I’ll see you both at breakfast!”

 

Dipper watched his sister close her door.  He turned to his demon to find that golden eye focused on the solid barrier.  The brunet was a little afraid that Bill was planning to set it on fire.  Instead the demon turned away and headed down the hallway.  Dipper frantically rushed to play catch-up.  Bill eventually stopped when he came to the stairs leading to the attic.  It did not take much time given his long strides.  The blond was distracted by something.  Dipper gave his partner a concerned look.  Was Bill really so bothered about being asked to help Mabel out?  Speculating on the reasoning for Bill’s mood wasn’t getting any answers.

 

“So, that was nice,” Dipper said to break the silence.  He offered a smile that felt more forced than he would have liked.  Bill’s pupil at least shifted to look at the brunet.  “What you did for Mabel, I mean.  Should, uh, should we talk about… before that?”

 

There was a long stretch of silence between them once again.  Dipper wasn’t sure why he had brought it up.  Just the thought of it made him blush like a teenager.  Granted he wasn’t much older than one, but surely his hormones were under better control.  It just felt so unbelievable that Bill would share such… moments with him.  Dipper wasn’t sure why he believed such a thing.  Perhaps he was just used to others being out of his league.  Mabel’s comment about Bill ‘eating his face more than kissing it’ refused to leave his mind.  It did sound like an accurate description of what had happened.  The real shocking fact was that Dipper had sort of liked it.

 

“There is nothing to talk about,” Bill said, breaking the other from his thoughts.

 

Chocolate eyes turned up to the demon.  Bill had shifted his focus from Dipper.  He missed the way the brunet’s expression fell.  The growing panic within the human was not so easily ignored, however.  Bill closed his eye from the onslaught of doubts.  Dipper was scared that he had done something wrong.  Had he?  Had either of them?  In that moment Bill wasn’t so sure.  He sighed before his eye opened again.  He continued to avoid looking at his sapling.  His body turned from the brunet as the air began to crackle around him.

 

“I have something to take care of.”

 

“Wait, Bill!”

 

The brunet was too late to halt his demon’s departure.  Dipper was left alone in the hall with his growing doubts.  Had he done something wrong?  Was it because he wanted Bill to help Mabel?  Was he a bad kisser?  Then the dread of Bill not coming back set in.  Surely his Guardian wouldn’t just leave him, even if the state of their progressing relationship was in question.  Dipper wasn’t sure if he wanted to go back into his room and curl into a ball or just sulk around the house.  He sunk down to the floor with his hands in his hair.  A sound escaped him somewhere between anger and sadness.  He huffed to try to sort his thoughts out.

 

Bill wasn’t going to leave him.  Maybe... maybe Bill was just as conflicted about where this was headed.  Yeah, that had to be it!  Bill had just gone somewhere to sort his own thoughts out.  That perked Dipper up a bit.  His demon was likely just weighing the pros and cons of moving their relationship along.  What if Bill decided he didn’t want that kind of interaction with Dipper?  Okay, now he made himself feel worse.  Dipper took another breath to calm down.  They would talk about it when Bill got back.  Dipper just had to stay positive, look on the bright side, and all that.  He didn’t have to have that closeness with Bill.  Most demon-human relationships were just as friends anyway.  There was no reason for them to be more.  Although they already seemed to be heading that way.  Dipper forced himself to his feet.  He would just have to wait for Bill to return.

 

Said demon had simply relocated to the attic room.  It would be easy for Pine Tree to find him, but his human seemed to be heading in a different direction.  It gave Bill time to think things through.  He hated the doubts his sapling was experiencing, but he had his own to work through at the moment.  Namely the ones suggesting that Pine Tree would make him weak and soft.  His concerns about becoming a glorified pet had only exacerbated the problem.  The brunet asking Bill to help out his twin added just as much fuel to the fire.  Bill had done it, too.  Didn’t that prove how far he had fallen?

 

The blond almost laughed at the very thought.  Bill Cipher becoming a weak, soft, obedient little pet to some human.  His enemies would have a field day pointing it out.  That really made him want to laugh.  They would probably get it in their heads that they could off him by targeting Pine Tree.  Oh no, he would tear them apart for merely breathing near his human.  The thought of anyone accusing him of being weak was simply too hilarious.  What he had done to those killbillies, to Milton, it was nothing but a taste of what he could do to any who opposed him.  He hadn’t reached the highest point of the demonic chain in this realm by sitting on his ass after all.  It had been some time, though, and likely many would need a refresher of what he was capable of.  His dark blood sang at the very thought.  The pain and torment, the limbs strewn throughout the fields, the screams of agony and pleas for it to finally end; now that was music to his pointed ears.  Bill’s tongue ran along his fangs as his mouth watered for a taste of that carnage.

 

Pine Tree had seen enough of his destructive potential, though.  The kid had been willing to approach him after the killbillies, but that didn’t mean he would be any less terrified the next time.  It was thoughts like this that made Bill think more on the possibility of going soft.  He didn’t want his sapling to have to see that side of himself.  It was a part of him, though, and he shouldn’t hide anything from Pine Tree.  Bill didn’t want the brunet to fear him, however.  If the kid was so easily terrified could he really be considered his?

 

Bill’s eye lifted to the window while he floated in the center of the room.  The open glass suddenly closed at his command.  His own thought process was starting to get on his nerves.  Pine Tree was his; Pine Tree would always be his.  It was just easier if the kid was content to be such.  He couldn’t have his sapling fighting him every step of the way.  Bill couldn’t have the brunet shivering in fear every time he was around.  The only way to keep Pine Tree from fearing him was to make the kid trust him.  If that meant tolerating the Pines family then so be it.  If Bill had to get along with the square he would endure it.  It was all for his sapling.  That didn’t make him weak.  It didn’t even make him soft.  Bill Cipher could never be weak.  He just protected what was his, and Dipper Pines was most assuredly his.

 

Whether Tad thought the kid could be used to rein him in did not matter.  These thoughts, these doubts, were ultimately meaningless.  Bill recognized them now.  The idea of going soft, of being weak, of becoming a human’s pet; he knew where these words had come from.  It was irritating to think that he had nearly succumbed to his own twisted game.  He wouldn’t be one of those demons losing their minds because they took out their own human.  It was fun to watch sure, but watching and participating were two very different things.  Honestly, he should be embracing this chance.  His fangs gleamed in the wide smile that stretched across his face.

 

The expression shifted as another epiphany came to him.  He had failed to keep his branding untouched.  It was only for a brief second, but Pine Tree had brushed over the mark.  Bill didn’t feel like ripping his skin off in that moment, however.  No, instead he had wanted to tear into the brunet in a very different way.  He still wanted to, when thinking about it.  Dipper Pines belonged to him, so why hadn’t he claimed the kid yet?  Bill shook his head to circumvent that train of thought.  Pine Tree wasn’t ready.  He could wait; he would wait.  Otherwise it would completely go against earning his sapling’s trust.  The brunet would have no reason not to feel safe around him.  It would just take some patience, and really with such a prize that should be far too easy.  Bill licked his lips.  A shiver ran through him at the lingering taste.

 

Down in the kitchen Dipper shivered without knowing why.  The back of his neck tingled strangely.  A frown crossed his features.  He still didn’t understand some of the sensations the symbol sent though his body.  They were connected to Bill, of course.  It worried Dipper slightly as he wondered if something might have happened.  Surely his Guardian could handle it, though.  He would just have to try to pay more attention to the reactions from his mark.  He would eventually figure them out, hopefully.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

 

 

Stanford Pines jolted awake down in his lab.  He nearly fell out of his chair as he struggled to recognize the here and now as opposed to then.  He could never just have a simple nightmare it seemed.  He would prefer mole people trying to eat him over the plague of memories.  Ford ran a six fingered hand down his face as his right searched for his glasses.  How could he have been such a fool back then?

 

The man sighed while straightening his glasses.  He had been so stupid in the past.  He had let feelings of jealousy cloud his judgment.  He had trusted a deranged demon.  A demon that his grandnephew was now bound to.  Stanford rubbed the bridge of his nose at the thought.  He couldn't help but think this was entirely his fault.  He had chosen to shelter the young twins from his past.  It was in agreement with Stanley and Tad, but any one of them could have broken that silence.  Perhaps he should have worked harder on a way to destroy that statue rather than just allow it to fade into a haunting memory.  Would it have worked, though?

 

Ford rested his elbows on his work desk.  His hands cradled his head as the thoughts poured over him.  These what ifs and could haves weren't helping him at all.  His eyes opened to take in the device he had been working on before sleep took him.  Stanford flinched back from the crudely made contraption.  His eyes were wide as he stared at the memory-gun.  A gun that he and his brother had used on many people in the past, most right here in Gravity Falls.

 

The planning from last night quickly came back to him.  Ford stumbled from his chair to get away from the invention.  Had he really been prepared to go through with it?  He crumpled to the floor at the very thought now.  His hands lifted to hold his head.  Stanford had never felt more ashamed of himself.  Perhaps that was not entirely true.  He could recall a time that he had actually gone through with something just as horrific.  The results just hadn't been what he was expecting at all, and revealed that he had been relying on a monster.  This, though, hell… would he really have done that?  Ford’s fingers tightened in his grey hair.

 

There was no way he could do that to Dipper.  What even would he have specifically ripped from the boy’s memories?  It wasn't like he could erase that demon and then find a way to explain to Dipper his magic would be lost.  There was no way to have him believe magic never existed.  If by some chance Ford convinced Dipper that he was never capable of magic what would he tell the boy’s parents?  Furthermore what would be done about Cipher?  What could be done?  Stanford didn't know if he felt simply useless or completely horrified.  Somehow that beast could still bring out the worst in him.

 

It was a struggle to regulate his breathing.  The dread that he had already gone through with it set in.  Would he have erased his memory of doing it out of anguish?  If that was the case then he really hadn't thought it through very well.  Obviously he wouldn't have thought any of it through then.  Stanford struggled back to his feet.  Sheer determination and the need to know carried him up the stairs.  He had to know how far he had gone.  He had to know what he had done to his great-nephew.  Surely he wouldn't have gone through with it.  Surely Cipher would have killed him if he had.  Stanford came to a stop at the back of the vending machine.  If he had done such a thing to Dipper, to any of his family, then he would deserve such a fate.

 

The hidden entrance was pushed away to reveal the gift shop area.  He didn't see any sign of Stanley, or anyone else for that matter.  The mop and cleaning supplies had been rolled out, which meant Soos had shown up.  Stanley must have forgotten to tell the young man they would be closed.  He really was like a son to Ford's brother.  Stanford walked further into the room until he could view the stairs.  Mabel was heading down them with her typical smile in place.  In fact it might even be more ecstatic than normal.  That was a good sign, unless Ford had zapped her, too.

 

“Mabel,” he called.  Thankfully Ford did not sound as panicked as he felt in that moment.

 

“Good morning, Grunkle Ford,” the brunette greeted as she bounded over to the man.  She wrapped him in a hug.  Stanford had always described it as an attempt to share her joy through osmosis.  He appreciated it in that moment.  Mabel looked up at him.  “Did you sleep alright?  I can have a batch of Mabel Juice ready for you in seconds.”

 

“That’s okay, sweetie,” Stanford said.  He was thankful for his great-niece’s infectious happiness.  It was hard not to smile in Mabel’s company.  There was still the lingering concern over her brother, though.  “Have you seen Dipper this morning?”

 

“Yep, I’d say Dipper has had a good start to his day,” Mabel exclaimed with a bounce in her step.  Ford wasn’t sure how to take this news.  His expression must have shown his confusion.  Mabel’s face suddenly morphed into a look of horrific realization.  Whatever she was alluding to must be something better left not sharing.  “I mean he seemed to have a good night’s rest!”

 

Stanford decided it was best not to inquire further.  He offered her a rather awkward smile before heading for the kitchen.  Mabel silently followed him, seeming to regret the previous words that had exited her mouth.  He tried not to dwell on it too much.  There was still the question of what he had done, or hadn’t done last night.  Perhaps there just had not been enough time for him to go through with his half-mad plan.  He would need to find Dipper to be sure.  Thus far Mabel had not mentioned the golden demon, but Ford had also not asked.  There was a growing sense of relief when Dipper was found in the kitchen with Stanley.  Mabel suddenly rushed past Ford to give her other grunkle a morning hug.

 

“Careful there, pumpkin,” Stan said as he stepped back from the stove.  He turned to return his niece’s embrace before going back to making his infamous Stan-cakes.  “It’s good to see you haven’t lost your morning person attitude.  Any idea where that Guardian of yours is at?”

 

“I haven’t seen Tad yet today,” Mabel said.  It seemed to worry her a bit, but she didn’t show it for long.  Mabel quickly took the chair across from Dipper.  “Speaking of demons, I don’t see Golden Boy around.  Where did he blink off to?”

 

“Bill said he had something to take care of,” Dipper informed the group.  He seemed a little put out by the turn of events.  Mabel’s expression changed to one of concern with a hint of guilt.

 

No one noticed how Stanford visibly relaxed at this news.  They would likely have inferred it to mean that he was glad the demon was somewhere else.  He was, honestly, but he was more relieved to know that last night’s desperation had not left its planning stages.  Ford did take note that Dipper seemed upset, though.  If there had been an argument it could be catastrophic for all of them.  It didn’t appear that anything had happened at least.  Not yet anyway.  Stanford silently walked over to the coffee machine.  His nerves could settle for a while before something else came along to make him question his own sanity.  That something would probably be their latest demonic housemate, though.

 

“How did you sleep last night, Ford?” Stanley asked as he flipped his hit-or-miss pancakes.  He was genuinely concerned for his twin especially with that monster now skulking about once more.

 

“Better than I thought I would, honestly,” Stanford said.  He was still nervous as all hell about the prospect of being around the demon again.  The fact that said demon was not just in his head made it all the more frightening.  His main focus at the moment was to keep calm, though.  The anticipation would just make it worse when Cipher finally did decide to show himself.  “H-How did you sleep?”

 

“Surprised I managed to make it to the bed this time,” Stanley chuckled.  He didn’t want the situation to turn too serious, but he had to be sure his brother was okay.  That slight stutter did not help his confidence in such a possibility.  “Strange helped, if I remember right.  Last night was one hell of a time, wasn’t it?”

 

A nod was the only response the other Stan offered.  He knew that Stanley was referring to the failed attempt at retrieving his journal.  The good news was that Gideon was down at least two killbillies now.  The next time would be easier, hopefully.  At the same time there was no telling what the young Gleeful had up his sleeve.  Ford could vaguely remember the spells and secrets locked within that particular journal.  He knew for certain that the worst ones definitely existed within those pages.  Stanford could only imagine the nightmare that would be unleashed if he hadn’t scribbled out a few entries pertaining to a certain horror made flesh.  Not that it did much good with said horror freely roaming and now connected to Dipper.

 

Stanley silently moved a plate of his pancakes over to the table.  Ford took a seat at the table.  He allowed the younger twins to take their share first.  Mabel coated hers in syrup as she always did.  It was hard to understand how the thick liquid remained on the plate.  Sometimes it did not, and Mabel was known to need to clean off half as much from her face and clothes.  Dipper was much more careful with his application of the stuff.  Both Stans were known to drown their pancakes.  Not nearly as much as their niece, though.  There was plenty to go around regardless.  Stanley always made sure there was enough for six.  It was just rare that six were around for breakfast.

 

“How did you sleep, Dip-dop?” Mabel asked after swallowing a forkful.

 

“Okay, I guess,” Dipper said with a shrug.  He looked up to find three pairs of eyes watching him intently.  Clearly more detail would be needed.  He was the one with a new demon, after all.  Plus about half of the house thought said demon was a complete psychopath.  Dipper wasn’t sure he could fully deny such claims.  His voice was small as he settled on what to add.  “Bill and I talked a little.”

 

“Is talking all you did?” Mabel questioned further.  Clearly she had her own assumptions about what Dipper may or may not have done last night when alone with his new Guardian.

 

“What?” Dipper squeaked out.  His eyes widened in shock.  It was hard to tell if it was purely from the fact that his sister would dare imply such things, or the possibility that he had been caught.  Mabel could read her twin quite easily, though, and the pink tinge to his cheeks suggested there was a bit more.

 

“So earlier wasn’t the first time then,” Mabel concluded.  She giggled despite the glare Dipper was sending her way.

 

“The first time for what?” Ford asked.  Both twins looked at him with a hesitant expression.  Dipper’s eyes shifted to Mabel in a silent plea or warning for her to keep quiet.  “What happened earlier?”

 

“Okay, new rule,” Stanley shouted before anyone else could add to the conversation.  His hands slammed down on the table to make sure he had everyone’s attention.  “We are going to keep quiet until this food is gone!  I don’t care what news any of you have to share.  It waits until I’ve had my food, and preferably left the room entirely.  Understood?”

 

There was complete silence from the other occupants of the room.  Stanley eyed all of them carefully for any signs of mutiny.  His focus slowly returned to his pancakes.  It seems he would have to talk to Dipper about what Cipher had implied after all.  He would just do it much later.  It likely was not a topic to bring up around Stanford.  Much as Stan didn’t want to push his twin aside, when it came to that wretched demon it was best that Ford had as little reminders as possible.  At least while they were all still getting used to the idea of Dipper having a… partner.  Stanley still couldn’t call that monster a Guardian, even if Cipher did seem to care for the boy.  If there was actually some force that determined these things then he would very much like to introduce it to his left hook.

 

A violent knock on the door drew everyone’s attention after only a few bites of silence.  Stan grumbled about the early time as he stood from his seat.  Soos should be able to take care of anyone thinking the place was open for business.  Much as Stanley hated to turn away money, he hated the thought of Cipher scaring away customers even more.  He made his way to the Mystery Shack entrance.  The scraping of his family’s chairs was heard.  When Stan looked at the large window to the outside he froze.  It seemed as if the entire town was at his doorstep.

 

The other Pines caught up to the man to witness the same thing.  The same question was on everyone’s mind.  Stanford cleared his throat to get his twin’s attention.  The two shared a silent look before Stanley walked over to the door.  Ford was there to back him up, and Dipper and Mabel as well.  Hopefully the townsfolk weren’t in mob formation, although that did seem to be the case.  Stan breathed to calm himself as his hand landed on the doorknob.  There were shouts of his name, his brother’s name, and the family name on the other side.  Where was Soos in all this?  Stan really hoped he wouldn’t have to untie him from the totem pole again.  That only happened with the rival tourist traps, though.  The locals had likely left Soos alone.  They better have left Soos alone.

 

“Uh, hello, everyone,” Stan greeted the angry looking residents.  Soos squeezed past them to stand next to his boss.  The young man looked a bit shaken, but untouched.  It put Stanley at ease if only a little.

 

“Sorry, Mr. Pines,” Soos whispered.  “They caught me disposing of the evidence.”

 

It didn’t take long for Stan to recall what his employee was referring to.  He never did teach Soos the proper way to dispose of a body.  He just didn’t think it was a skill the young man would need.  Soos had always been a good kid.  Stanley had taught him how to defend himself at least.  He couldn’t imagine anyone trying to hurt the kid, but there was always some asshole bound to jump out.  His eyes took in the gathered locals.  It was easy to tell who had brought them together.  Gideon was at the forefront of the mob with Manly Dan and a number of the local biker bar patrons.  What was the twerp up to this time?

 

Manly Dan dropped a large bag at Stanley’s feet.  It made a wet thunk on impact.  Soos looked like he was about to be sick.  Stan cringed at the conclusion of what the body bag contained; it was a body.  Why they brought this to his doorstep Gideon seemed all too happy to answer.  If there weren’t so many people around Stanley would surely deck the little pain in his ass.  The kid had been nothing but trouble since he made himself known in the Pines’ lives.  The worst part was that they seemed to be the only ones immune to his charms.

 

“Good morning, Mr. Pines,” Gideon said with as much cheerfulness as his body could hold.  Once again it appeared that those inside the Mystery Shack were able to tell how fake it was, while everyone else fell for it hook, line, and sinker.  Sometimes Stanley really hated this town of idiots.  “I hope we aren’t interrupting a good breakfast.”  His fake apologetic expression made Stan’s eye twitch.  “You see, this morning hasn’t been so great for the rest of us.”

 

“One of your monsters attacked the town!”

 

“You call yourselves protectors?”

 

“It could have ate my cat!”

 

“Eaten,” Ford corrected the random citizen.  “‘It could have eaten your cat.’  Please respect the proper use of grammar.  You are  part of a mob, not a backwards civilization.”

 

“Now, now, everyone, please remain calm,” Gideon encouraged the enraged people.  He had them practically eating out of his palm like any other time.  Stanley was having a hard time not throttling the pompous teenager.  Ford’s hand on his shoulder helped to keep him in line.  Gideon turned back around to the gathered Pines.  “We were just hoping for answers as to how this happened.  You see, from what I recall your resident demon should have a barrier that keeps these little beasties contained.  I’d hate to accuse you of getting lazy in your old age, but the only other conclusion I came up with was that your demon let them out for fun.  I would truly hope he was better controlled.”

 

“We assure you that Tad would do no such thing,” Stanford said in place of letting his brother run his mouth.  He did squeeze the man’s shoulder, needing just as much reassurance not to punch this thorn in their sides.  The fact that Gideon was accusing Strange of these things, and somehow getting the townspeople to believe him was infuriating.  They were all ungrateful, far too ungrateful for all that his twin and Tad had done for them.  “We are looking into the matter of a weakened barrier.  I assure you we are as vigilant as ever in our protections of this town.”

 

“I would certainly hope so, Mr. Pines,” Gideon replied with such false politeness that it almost made Ford’s eye twitch.  “We just wanted to be sure this was not an unknown incident to you.  And I of course was concerned for our newest members.  I would hate to think that Mabel was in danger.  Having a demon so close can be quite dangerous.  Not that I’m against such alliances, but there is always that possibility of one going feral.”

 

“Tad would never hurt anyone,” Mabel said in her demon’s defense.  She openly glared at the white haired teenager.  Dipper’s glare was not as intense, but clearly there.

 

“I really would like to believe that, dear Mabel,” Gideon said with a curt nod.  He frowned briefly at the way his sugar plum bristled at his words.  He struggled to put his charm back in place.  This filth continued to poison her against him.  He had to save her from them before she was turned against him irreversibly.  “But, you see, the evidence is very much against him.”

 

Gideon turned and nodded his head to a random biker.  He signaled in the same way to Manly Dan.  The large Corduroy gestured to the back of the gathered mob.  Most of the younger residents and woman had gathered there.  They turned from the scene as the originally signaled biker unzipped the body bag for the Pines to see.  Inside was the corpse of a killbilly.  It was revealed enough to tell that the right arm had been severed.  The creature must have bled out in the middle of town sometime in the night.  Soos went around the side of the house to expel his breakfast and early morning snacks.  Gideon made another motion to the biker for him to zip it back up.

 

“It’s safe to look,” Manly Dan yelled to the others.

 

“Now, I am sure you know what this creature is,” Gideon said.  He moved his arms behind him to clasp his hands together at his lower back.  His powder blue suit and robin egg colored tie added a professional appearance.  All of the Pines really wanted to punch his smug face.  “In fact you had your employee cleaning up two other similar bodies, so I know you know what they are.  I know what they are, too, given my extensive research on the monsters of this forest.”

 

“Stolen research,” Ford fake coughed.

 

“These are highly dangerous monsters,” Gideon continued on as though nothing had happened.  He brought a hand up to his chin in an expression of hard thinking.  “I can’t help but wonder what kind of creature could do so much to a pack of such monsters.”  His hand went back to hold his other behind his back.  “Clearly a demon could, but this seems rather extreme.  Wouldn’t you agree?”

 

“Just get to the point, Gideon,” Dipper said.  He crossed his arms over his chest.  “The town is still protected.  Clearly no one was harmed.”

 

“I would think you of all people would be more upset about this, Dipper Pines,” Gideon stated.  It certainly got the twenty-year-old’s attention.  Gideon shrugged as if to say ‘you do you’ or something along those lines.  “After all, this is your sister’s supposed Guardian, is it not?  If Tad Strange could do this to these creatures, what do you suppose he could do to sweet Mabel here?”

 

“Tad would never hurt her,” Dipper said.

 

Perhaps when he first came to Gravity Falls he would have seen some point to what Gideon was hinting at, but he knew Tad, at least more than he had then.  The purple demon would never let any harm come to his Charge.  Frankly Dipper should punch Gideon for even suggesting such a thing.  There was also the fact that Tad Strange had not been the one to do this to these killbillies.  Dipper was not so prepared to reveal that information to these people.  Clearly they could not be trusted.  They would just turn this around on him, on Bill.  Dipper was not about to let that happen.  Sure Bill was violent, and really enjoyed the pain he caused his adversaries, but he wouldn’t go after Mabel.  Bill understood how important she was to Dipper.  He knew what family meant to the brunet.  Bill could be antagonistic towards them, but he wouldn’t actually try to hurt them.  Not now at least.

 

“I hope you are right, Dipper Pines,” Gideon said with that same curt nod.  Dipper grinded his teeth together with the desire to sock the creep in that pompous little face.  “It’s just, with the likelihood I fear that Mabel might be in danger.  All of us could potentially be in danger.  As long as there is a demon in this town no one is safe.  The control a human has over their demonic guardian is never reliable after all.  How many have died to the creature that was supposed to be their protector?”

 

“That hasn’t happened for decades,” Ford pointed out.

 

“That is true.”

 

“All the more likely if you ask me.”

 

“Tad Strange has been around humans for centuries, though.”

 

“That’s a good point.”

 

“What about that Northwest demon?”

 

“Probably some refined sort.”

 

The townspeople talked amongst themselves.  It seemed that Stanford had managed to get them to see sense for the time being.  There had never been an incident with Strange, not of this sort at least.  He was the least likely to ever turn against a human Charge.  Who would want to hurt the sweet Mabel Pines anyway?  Gideon clearly wasn’t getting whatever it is he wanted this time around.  The Pines all knew he would be back, though.  His glare toward most of them made that clear.  It was actually Manly Dan who was the last to leave.  He leveled a hard stare at Stanley in particular.  Stan was not an easily intimidated man, even if said man was taller than him.  They would both have to look up when dealing with Cipher anyway.

 

“I do hope you are right about what you said, Pines,” Dan Corduroy said.  His large fists clenched at his sides.  He lifted a hand to point threateningly at the family.  “My daughter better not be in danger when she comes here, or you can find yourself another employee.”

 

“Really, Dan?” Stanley questioned with a raised eyebrow and laughing smile.  He crossed his arms.  “If there was anything dangerous around here your daughter would quickly send them packing.”  He shook his head with a fond look.  “No one wants to mess with that ball of fire.”

 

“Hm,” Dan hummed with a nod.  He put his arm down to show he was standing down this round.  “See you at Skull Fracture?”

 

“Maybe,” Stanley shrugged.  He relaxed by leaning against the Shack.  “I might be too busy with all this for Karaoke night.  I really wouldn’t want to miss your duet with Cutebiker, but I can’t promise anything.”

 

“Well, I’m sure Wendy will be around before then,” Dan said.  He turned to head off with the stragglers.  “She seems to think Tad is a good guy, err, demon.  I’ll believe her until proven otherwise.  Watch yourselves, though.  Something has been up with the forest these last few days.”

 

“Will do, Danny boy,” Stan said as the man left.  “Don’t be too much of a stranger.”

 

“You know he hates it when you call him that,” Ford said while they went back inside.

 

“Doesn’t matter,” Stan shrugged it off.  “I earned the right to call him whatever when I beat him in arm wrestling.”

 

“Everyone knows you cheated, Stanley,” Stanford pointed out with an annoyed look.

 

“They have no more proof then you do.”

 

“What was that about?” Tad asked, drawing their attention as he stood in the middle of the gift shop.

 

“Tad,” Mabel exclaimed before embracing her Guardian in a hug.  He patted her had with a fond smile.

 

“Just some idiots that Gideon rounded up,” Stan said with clear exasperation.  This town was full of them really.  “One of those things Cipher let escape apparently died of blood loss in the middle of town.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eventually our favorite psycho-stalker will meet the Great Triangle Overlord, and there will be a grand picnic. One of these things is likely false. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. My back stock is a little low, so the next chapter might be late, but hopefully I can get at least a couple more typed up by then. It's my own fault for fleshing out other ideas that will eventually be posted. Until then let me know your thoughts so far.
> 
> And enjoy this hint for next chapter:   
> orpv kfmxsrmt z yvzi gizk


	23. Stuck With a Crazy Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pines are getting used to their new demonic housemate, or trying to at least. Some are having an easier time than others. Dipper is discovering that just because Bill is not a threat to him does not mean he is spared the headache of the demon's antics. With any luck Bill Cipher would tone it down after a while. The brunet was not holding his breath for it, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Chapter warnings: Mabel and Tad bonding, Bill, blood, violence, Stan hearing things he shouldn't, some Ford angst, Dipper's patience being tried far too much, possible abandonment issues
> 
> Let me know if I have missed anything.

 

 

“Five,” Tad announced.  His eyes were focused on a book in his left hand.  “Six.”  His thumb lifted from the center of the book as he magically turned the page.  “Se-seven.”  His violet eyes trailed over to his right to watch Mabel through his peripheral.

 

The brunette was giving him her best innocent smile.  Her arms were folded behind her head while her knees were bent to place her feet flat on the floor.  Tad’s right hand was holding her ankles to keep her feet steady and still.  The demon smiled despite himself.  He went back to his book as Mabel continued her sit-ups.  He counted for her, as she could not be relied on to do so on her own.  His earlier stutter had occurred simply because she had tried to cheat.  It was the second time she had attempted it.  Tad wasn’t sure if she was testing how much he was paying attention to her, or just wanted to get this done and over with.

 

“If you cheat again we will start over,” Tad warned.  His attention seemed to fully return to his reading then.

 

Dipper watched the two train on the floor in front of the couch.  He couldn’t tell what Tad was reading.  The book looked worn with a brown cover, but there were no words or even pictures on front or back.  From what Dipper had seen there wasn’t even any indication on the binding.  He wasn’t at an angle to view the words on the pages either.  They were likely in some language he didn’t understand anyway.  His face formed a small pout.  It was more due to the absence of his own Guardian than wanting to know what the book was about.  Wasn’t Bill supposed to be training him like Tad was helping Mabel?

 

There was no telling what his demon was up to.  It worried Dipper a little.  Bill wouldn’t do anything that would potentially kill anyone here, though.  Dipper doubted he had gone into town to torment random citizens.  Granted it would serve them right for believing Gideon’s garbage.  No, no, Dipper would not wish harm on other people.  Bill was all too likely to jump at the chance to cause mayhem and bodily harm.  That was the last thing any of them needed.  Still, it would be nice if Bill would show up and offer to teach Dipper something, or at least talk with him.  Dipper sighed, a clear sign of his dejected state.  It certainly caught Mabel’s and Tad’s attention.  There was a curse from somewhere else in the house that distracted all three of them.

 

“Cipher,” Stanley hollered.  Dread filled Dipper at the thought of what his partner had done.  Grunkle Stan definitely sounded mad.  “What the fuck did you do to my hat?”

 

“Made it better,” Bill’s reply came from the same direction as Stan’s yelling.  There was a distressed scream that followed.  Bill laughed at something.  Dipper stood up to investigate.  His Guardian’s joy did not bode well for others.

 

“Dammit, Cipher,” Grunkle Stan cursed.  “We walk in this house, not teleport in front of people and give them heart-attacks!”

 

“Sounds boring,” Bill said all too cheerfully.  “I thought you were the fun twin.”

 

“I’m going to be the twin that puts his boot up your ass,” Stan threatened.  Dipper started walking toward the voices faster.

 

“Sorry, Stanley, but there’s only one Pines that I’d let near this ass,” Bill said before bursting into laughter.

 

Dipper suddenly stopped in his tracks before turning around.  He didn’t even want to know what his face looked like just then.  He did not want to be around his grunkle after those words were said.  Bill was going to get him killed at this rate.  He didn’t want to imagine how Great Uncle Ford would react to such implications.

 

“Son of a bitch!”

 

Mabel and Tad were sitting on the floor where Dipper had left them.  Mabel was no longer doing sit-ups, however.  Dipper did not want to ask how much they had heard.  Tad looked rather confused while the brunette’s expression revealed that Dipper must be rather red in the face.  He doubted he could look Grunkle Stan in the eye again.  There was more cursing coming from their grunkle.  Bill continued to laugh like a madman, mad-demon.  It was hard not to run to find out what exactly was going on.  Mabel and Tad got up to investigate since Dipper seemed to want to be swallowed up by the couch.  Dipper sighed as he stood once again to follow.  If Bill did anything particularly insane he would have to be the one to talk him out of it.  Was that even possible?  There was only one way to find out.

 

Stanley could still be heard cursing, but at least Bill’s laughter had settled down.  Mabel stopped slightly behind Tad as they found the golden demon leaning against the bathroom doorframe.  Bill had an amused smug grin on his face.  Grunkle Stan must be inside the room.  Dipper came around the two.  He sighed before walking toward his Guardian.  He would just have to prepare himself for whatever nightmare Bill was setting him up for.  Dipper looked up when he was a few steps from seeing into the bathroom.  He watched Bill run his gloved thumb over his chin.  A red liquid had collected there.  Dipper froze completely as he watched Bill’s tongue dart out to clean the digit.

 

“Fucking bastard,” Stan cursed.

 

Bill shifted his gaze to the man with a bored expression.  The human had asked for it.  Did he honestly think Bill wouldn’t defend himself?  It had been a few decades, but Stanley should know him better than that.  He certainly wasn’t about to let the man punch him in the face.  Not without some form of retaliation at least.  The golden demon changed his focus to their sudden eavesdroppers.  His signature stretching smile appeared when he locked eye on Dipper.  It was clear that the kid had noticed Bill cleaning the blood from his face.  Bill turned his attention back to Stanley before the frown set in.

 

“Really, one would think you’d have used the other hand,” Bill pointed out.

 

“I didn’t think you would fucking bite me,” Stan yelled as he applied pressure to the wrapping around his wrist.  He didn’t even want to think about how lucky he was that his hand was still attached.  He actually hadn’t expected Cipher to open his mouth as a fist was coming at him.  Duck and throw Stan into the wall?  Yeah, that sounded reasonable.  Attempt to eat his fist?  No, somehow that had not occurred to the man no matter how much it should have.

 

“You’ll heal,” Bill said as though Stanley was overreacting.  “Maybe you’ll even have a nice scar afterwards.”  His smile returned as he came up with the joyous suggestion.  “Now that would be a tale for your buddies.”

 

“Fuck.  You.”

 

“Such language, Stanley,” Bill lightly scolded with a taunting smile.  He tisked at the man’s behavior.  They both knew that Cipher likely knew even more curses, many of them actually harmful.  “And in front of your nephew.”

 

“Dipper,” Stan said.  He continued glaring at the golden demon.

 

“Yes, Grunkle Stan,” Dipper said as he poked his head into the room.  He offered a hesitant smile that he hoped let the man know that he had nothing to do with anything Bill did or said.  He bit his lip at the sight of his grunkle’s blood on the sink.

 

“Find out from Ford if I’ll need a rabies shot,” Stanley ordered.  “And get this lunatic away from me.  Don’t let him gain a taste for human flesh.”

 

“Far too late for that, Stanley,” Bill said in a sing-song voice.  His right arm wrapped around Dipper to pull him away.  Stan could still be heard cursing under his breath.

 

“What did you do?” Dipper asked in a hissed whisper.

 

“He tried to punch me, so I used my teeth,” Bill replied as though it was the most basic method of defense.  For him it very well could be.  The look Dipper leveled at him clearly said that he wanted more information.  Bill sighed dramatically as he slumped and started floating with his legs bent.  “I was trying to re-establish my windows throughout this place.  I can’t get into Sixer’s lab, so I’m making new eyes.”

 

Bill lifted his left hand to show off the redesigned fez.  The usual symbol was replaced with a dark yellow triangle.  There was a hole in the upper center.  Dipper wasn’t sure if it needed the line to represent the pupil or not.  Grunkle Stan would likely want it back.  The man might have others, but he probably didn’t want Bill to have these windows hidden throughout the Shack.  Great Uncle Ford certainly wouldn’t want them around.  Wherever the others were locked away he probably never wanted them out again.  Dipper would admit that they were creepy.  Just imagining that Bill could watch him through these ‘eyes’ freaked him out.  He already had a taste of how invasive such ‘windows’ could be.

 

“Could you at least try not to antagonize my family, please?” Dipper pleaded.

 

The golden demon stopped to actually consider his human.  His single eye gave nothing away.  The lack of his too wide smile always made Dipper uneasy.  It made the brunet question his own sanity.  Shouldn’t he be relieved when it wasn’t there?  It would unnerve anyone else.  It did unnerve everyone else.  Those sharp fangs being on clear display should freak everyone out.  Not Dipper, though.  He felt better when they were visible.  He felt better when Bill was smiling in that truly unsettling way that made another’s face hurt just looking at it.  Bill lifted a finger to his chin in thought.

 

“Actually, it’s rather fun to torment them,” Bill said.  He seemed to think a bit more on the matter, though.  The longer it took the more Dipper realized the obvious conclusion.  He huffed and slumped as he walked faster down the hall.  Bill caught up to him by teleporting.  “But if you’re so concerned about it I guess I could let up just a little.”

 

“Thank you,” Dipper breathed out.  He managed a small smile at the knowledge that Bill took his feelings into consideration.  Bill was insane, but he wasn’t always a complete jerk.  “Could you wait here a moment?’

 

The two stopped just before the intersection of the kitchen and living room doorways.  Bill shrugged before leaning against the wall that gave way to the kitchen entrance.  Dipper took that as his agreement.  The brunet breathed to compose himself as he entered the room.  He hadn’t really talked with his great uncle.  They had been fine at breakfast, but no real conversation was had then.  He was honestly dreading being alone with the man.  Great Uncle Ford had his reasons for hating Bill.  Dipper wouldn’t deny that fact, or the fact that they were likely good reasons.  The man still refused to share exact details with him, but Dipper could infer a few things by this point.

 

Part of him regretted having Bill stay out of the room, but that would just cause more problems.  Grunkle Stan had agreed to tolerate the golden demon.  The eldest Pines had made no such promises.  Given Bill’s most recent confrontation with Stanley, it was likely best to keep him away from the other Mystery Shack residents.  Dipper figured it was better to let Great Uncle Ford get used to the idea of Bill Cipher’s existence before the man was actually in his presence for an extended period of time.  Dipper wasn’t even sure how he would address the man he once idolized at this point.  He was still rather hurt that so much had been kept from him, and continued to be kept from him.  That could be handled another time, however.

 

“Hi, Great Uncle Ford,” Dipper said to get the man’s attention.

 

Stanford was opening the cupboards to peer inside at the contents.  He scribbled something down on a notepad in his hands.  One cupboard was closed before another was opened.  Dipper hadn’t realized it was time for cataloguing their current supplies again.  Ford was always punctual with it.  He would typically give the assembled list to his brother.  It didn't really matter what happened to it after that as long as the groceries were bought and their supplies restocked.  The man paused after writing something else down to acknowledge his grandnephew.

 

“Hello, Dipper,” he greeted in return.  His smile appeared a little forced as though he was nervous about something.  Dipper figured the man was anticipating Bill showing up.  He had no way of knowing the lingering guilt Stanford felt for plans that thankfully never came to pass.  “What can I do for you?”

 

“I didn’t realize it was grocery time again,” Dipper said.  He didn’t want to worry his great uncle.  Mabel and Tad seemed to have it covered with Grunkle Stan.  “Anyway, I think Mabel and Tad have it covered, but Grunkle Stan  _ kinda _ tried to punch Bill…”

 

“What happened?” Ford asked as his eyes widened in dread and concern.

 

“It didn’t look too bad,” Dipper quickly informed him.  He didn’t want to panic the man, but he was becoming panicked in his place.  He just didn’t want the man to think Grunkle Stan was at death’s door.  He also didn’t want to give Stanford more reason to distrust his Guardian.  “Bill just sort of… bit him.”

 

“Take care of this, Dipper,” Ford ordered as he handed over the list he had been compiling.  He headed for the stairs.  “I’ll make sure Stanley is okay.”

 

Dipper struggled to form words to stop the man.  Great Uncle Ford was already out of sight, leaving the brunet with the torn page of the notepad.  He glanced down at the piece of paper with a sigh.  He questioned for a moment if Bill would actually have caused real harm to Stanley.  There was blood, but the demon had seemed to think the man would be fine eventually.  Grunkle Stan wasn’t in danger of losing his hand like he had lost his other arm.  It looked like Dipper was left to go into town for their groceries then.  He would have to find the keys.  Hopefully the car was reliable today.

 

“This is certainly a lively place, isn’t it?” Bill suddenly commented from behind Dipper.

 

“Bill,” Dipper cried out in surprise.  The demon smiled down at him as the brunet made wild gestures that seemed to be attempts to communicate something.  “I told you to wait out there!”

 

“Yes,” Bill said.  Silence stretched between them.  The blond was under the impression that his human would add something else.  Pine Tree just continued to look at him as if he had gone against his wishes.  Bill looked to the doorway to the rest of the place.  Realization slowly dawned on him that his sapling did believe this.  “Oh, no, sapling I knew what you wanted.  You told me to stay out there to avoid Sixer, but then he went up to check on Stanley.”  Bill waved his hand in a careless gesture to cast away his human’s concern.  “I made sure he didn’t see me and came in here.”

 

“Okay,” Dipper said without sounding convinced.  He appeared to catch on after a moment.  Bill had still listened to him.  Bill had even inferred what Dipper had really wanted.  “Okay, let’s continue to make sure he doesn’t see you.  I have to go into town.”  Dipper bit his lip in uncertainty.  His current planning sounded more like a recipe for disaster.  Was it really a good idea to leave his family alone with Bill?

 

“Ooooooh, I haven’t seen town in so long,” Bill announced joyously.  His eye brightened like a child being promised a popular new toy.  Dipper leaned back on instinct when his Guardian leaned down to invade his personal space.  “What are we doing in town?”

 

“Uh, I have to get groceries,” Dipper responded in a way that tried to convey him going alone.

 

Judging by the look his demon continued to give him it was not made clear enough.  The brunet started to feel bad at the idea of leaving Bill out.  Dipper really didn’t want to know what mayhem Bill would cause.  There was the panic of the townspeople to think about.  They were already basically waiting for his entire family to mess up thanks to Gideon.  Not that their opinions mattered that much to Dipper.  He just didn’t want to exacerbate the problem by setting his demon on the unsuspecting citizens.  Then again Bill Cipher could cause just as much terror for his family if Dipper wasn’t around to stop him.  Not that there was any stopping Bill if he really wanted something, but he had shown a consideration for the brunet’s wishes.  Maybe Dipper could rely on that to keep his Guardian from burning Gravity Falls to the ground.

 

“Okay,” Dipper said as he gathered his thoughts.  Hopefully Bill would work with him on this.  He just had to think of the pros more than the cons of unleashing his demon on Gravity Falls.  “We’ll go into town, but you have to make sure very few people see you.  The town isn’t exactly fond of my family right now, and I’m not sure how they’ll react to another demon suddenly showing up.”

 

“Not a problem,” Bill said before fading out of existence.  Dipper panicked for a moment that he was actually left alone.  “So shall we get you more accustomed to teleporting?”

 

“No, no, we’re just going to take Grunkle Stan’s car,” Dipper decided.  It was a little weird hearing Bill’s voice without knowing where exactly the demon was.

 

It took a few minutes to find the keys since Stanley rarely left them in the same spot.  Great Uncle Ford had told Dipper to get the items on his list, so his family shouldn’t worry about where he went for too long.  They might worry if they realized he had taken Bill with him, though.  Dipper could only hope their fears were not that legitimate.  He was concerned, too, but his demon appeared to be willing to cause minimal havoc.  Once they got into town Dipper would figure out what ‘minimal’ meant to Bill Cipher.  Dipper awkwardly held the door open perhaps a bit longer than needed.  It was hard to know what his Guardian was doing when even he couldn’t see him.

 

“Hey, Dipper,” Soos called from his ladder.  He was just finishing cleaning up the mess on the Mystery Shack.  It had been easier once he decided to think of the substance as poorly placed paint rather than what it actually was.  Soos climbed down to properly speak with the younger man.  He pulled Dipper into a hug as soon as he was close enough.  “I wanted to congratulate you, dude.  Mr. Pines told me you got your own Guardian now.”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Dipper replied awkwardly once Soos let him go.  His smile was just as shaky, but it was obviously grateful.  At least there seemed to be someone happy for him.  Wendy had seemed to have his back as well, and Mabel was in his corner regardless of Bill’s attitude towards her.  “His name’s Bill, he....”

 

“Bill Cipher, yeah, I’ve met him,” Soos said with a smile and nod.  His eyes suddenly glanced around as though watching for eavesdroppers.  He lifted a hand to the side of his mouth before whispering.  “Honestly he’s a bit creepy if you ask me, but I think it’s great you found a partner.”

 

“Yeah,” Dipper drew out the word.  He couldn’t really disagree with the thought of his demon being creepy.  Thankfully Soos hadn’t seen what Bill was actually capable of, though.  Creepy would have been replaced with outright terrifying then.  “Thanks, Soos.  Bill isn’t so bad, once you get used to him.”

 

“Sure, dude,” Soos agreed with another nod and smile.  “I only just met him, but you’ve been living with him since whenever it was you met.”

 

Dipper didn’t say anything to that.  Bill had really only stayed at the Mystery Shack last night, and Dipper had met him just a few days before that.  Their bond obviously helped the brunet feel more comfortable around his demon.  He wasn’t sure if time would allow others to feel less threatened in Bill’s presence or not.  It all depended on how well the golden demon warmed up to another, which aside from Dipper at this point did not seem likely.  Again, though, it had really only been a day or a night if one wanted to get technical.  The brunet continued on to the car after some parting words to Soos.  The slightly older man went back to cleaning up around the Shack.

 

The driver side door made a horrible squeak when Dipper opened it.  He groaned in response.  Dipper decided he would worry about it later as he plopped down.  The door creaked as he closed it.  He went to work adjusting the mirrors to his preference.  While Dipper got comfortable he noticed a vibrant yellow in his peripheral.  Bill had materialized himself in the passenger’s seat.  He was scrunched down in the seat to avoid hitting his head, but his legs were also cramped in the space provided.  Dipper attempted to direct the blond in how to adjust the seat.  He ended up being forced to crawl over his demon to work the seat for him.  It helped a little anyway.  Dipper was quick to get back in his own seat when he noticed the satisfied yet teasing smile on Bill’s face.  The laugh echoing in the confines of the vehicle did nothing to lessen the embarrassment decorating Dipper’s face.

 

“Can I drive?” Bill asked as they started away from the Mystery Shack.

 

“Only if you have a license,” Dipper said in a tone that revealed how much he doubted that possibility.  He actually had no interest in letting Bill anywhere near the steering wheel.  It was bad enough that his demon kept fiddling with the radio and other knobs in front of him.

 

“Oh, sure,” Bill exclaimed.  Dipper side eyed him for a split second.  The smile stretching the demon’s face added to the falsehood of his statement.  “What do those look like again?”

 

“I’m driving, Bill,” Dipper decided to be as clear as possible.  Ground rules obviously needed to be set.  He just wasn’t sure how well the blond would follow them.  “We are going to get the items on Great Uncle Ford’s list, and then we are heading back.  No fires will be set, no people should be screaming in terror, and absolutely no one should see you.  Okay?”

 

“That sounds so boring, Pine Tree,” Bill complained.  If it wasn’t for the seatbelt he would likely slump enough to smack his face on the dashboard.  Instead he leaned back in his seat with an expression that showed just how bored the very idea of these stipulations made him.  “I thought we were going to see the town, have some real fun.”

 

“If you wanted the fun twin you should have been paired with Mabel,” Dipper said, only partially joking.

 

In all honesty if that had been the case it would be absolutely terrifying.  He could only hope when Bill actually warmed up to his twin that they didn’t go too crazy.  At least the world would have Tad and him there to keep them contained either way.  It would certainly have been different if Tad had been his Guardian instead.  The drive into town became eerily quiet after that.  Dipper focused on the road.  The continued silence started to worry him, even if he could feel Bill watching him.  The radio was left on a station that wouldn’t come in and the temperature dial had been left at the coldest setting.

 

When they reached an intersection Dipper took the time to see what his demon was up to.  His mocha eyes locked with the single golden one almost instantly.  Bill had himself half turned towards Dipper.  That typically wide smiling mouth was a thin tiny line.  The slit pupil eye on the other hand almost seemed to have gotten cartoonishly larger.  Dipper couldn’t really compare his partner to a puppy, but he was certainly using the expression of a kicked one.  The brunet subconsciously curled his fingers around the wheel in a nervous gesture.

 

“Uh…,” Dipper opened his mouth to figure out why such an expression had come over his Guardian.

 

“You would rather a connection with Strange,” Bill stated more than questioned.  His expression fell further at this perceived conclusion.  He looked down then instead of at Dipper.

 

“No, no, I didn’t mean it like that,” Dipper said.  His hands left the wheel as he tried to backpedal and fix his earlier poor choice of words.  “I just… Look, it was only a few days ago that I didn't even think I had a Guardian.  I'm completely new to all this, and it's really overwhelming to be honest.”  The brunet turned back to face the steering wheel.  His head hung as he breathed out before continuing in a quieter tone.  “I don't want to be a disappointment.  I'm afraid of messing up.  And in all honesty Mabel is the fun twin.”

 

The brunet was about to wrap his arms around himself when Bill made a dismissive sound.  Dipper whipped his head back around when Bill started snickering for seemingly no reason.  The demon dissolving into true laughter made the human flinch back.  Surely he could recall questioning his Guardian’s sanity before, but the lack of it was quite confirmed in that moment.  Dipper had no idea what to do with such information, however.  He was a little worried that it could alter their connection somehow.  Could he become insane because of their link?  Could this be the catalyst to the downfall of other charges?

 

“Who is going to be disappointed in you, Pine Tree?” Bill asked with a more serious curiosity.  The end of his laughing fit put the human more at ease.  It also made him nervous all over again because it sounded like Bill was asking about Dipper’s deepest insecurities.

 

“Great Uncle Ford, for one,” Dipper said with his eyes downcast.  He could sense a spark of anger from Bill’s end of their bond, but it did not grow beyond that.

 

“Sixer?  Please, he should be thanking you,” Bill stated in a matter-of-fact tone.  He smirked at some thought.  “On his knees, in fact.  Sixer should be kissing your feet!”

 

“What?” Dipper questioned, clearly not following whatever path his partner’s thoughts had taken.

 

“He wouldn’t be alive,” Bill said, only growing more cheerful.  It was honestly creeping Dipper out to see the gleaming joy in that one cat-eye.  “I would have killed him if not for you!  In fact all of them would have ended up like those stupid creatures!  Hahahahah-ah!”

 

“Stop,” Dipper shouted over the demon’s laughter.  His hands covered his ears to muffle the twisted sound that was meant to represent joy.  He was facing the steering wheel as he hunched forward to escape the creeping fear.  He was alone with a creature that admitted to wanting his family dead.  He was expected to protect his family from such a monster.  How was he even to defend himself?  Dipper squinted his eyes shut tighter.  His next words were more of a desperate plea.  “Stop it!”

 

“Pine Tree?” Bill’s voice held more concern than even Dipper expected.  His golden eye flicked frantically to gauge the brunet’s distress.  The fact that his human kept his eyes shut and body turned made this difficult.  Bill internally wondered what he did wrong.  A moment of clarity had him pondering if it was not acceptable to speak of other’s potential fate.  Was it because Bill had talked about killing Sixer, Stanley, and Shooting Star?  “I wouldn’t.  You know that.  They’re important to you.”

 

“You want them dead, though,” Dipper said while sniffling back the small stream of tears.  This couldn’t be what was expected of him.  It just couldn’t be!  A Guardian wasn’t supposed to be a danger to his family.  His thoughts of desperation quickly turned to anger then.  “You just confessed it!”

 

“N-... Well, yes,” Bill admitted carefully.  He couldn’t backpedal.  He couldn’t deny it, but he could elaborate on his thoughts pertaining to it.  “I do… did… Ugh!  They’re important to you!  Losing them would devastate you, I know that.”  The demon sighed in frustration as his thoughts refused to form into words for his speaking hole.  He was still trying to will Dipper to look at him.  For whatever reason Bill felt that physical contact would be rejected in that moment.  “You’re important to me!  I could never let something like that happen because it would break you!  ...and I don’t know how to piece others back together.”

 

Dipper turned to his demon in order to gauge the sincerity of his claim.  Bill had that dejected look again, with added misery it seemed.  For an insane bloodthirsty demon he pulled it off far too well.  Their connection backed up the demon’s words as well.  Dipper did wonder if one could lie through such bonds.  He doubted it would hold up unless one had an unnatural control over their thoughts and emotions.  He wanted to believe Bill’s words, obviously.  It was likely best to move on from it.  Bill wasn’t saying he was giving the other Pines a chance; Bill was just saying that he was unwilling to put Dipper through that loss.  It was a start, at least.  Again, Bill was taking Dipper’s feelings into consideration.

 

“I believe you,” Dipper said in regards to Bill not hurting his family.

 

A glance over at the demon revealed a hesitant smile.  Dipper admitted he would feel better with the typical wide, tooth exposing grin, but he would take what was given.  They clearly still had a lot to work through in this particular partnership.  It could be done, though.  If this proved anything it was that there was care towards the other.  Dipper smiled back at Bill before turning his eyes back to the road ahead.  The street light above was still red.  He sighed at this knowledge.  Surely it should be close to switching over.

 

“Traffic lights sure are long in Gravity Falls,” Dipper commented.

 

“You mean the color changing cyclopses up there?” Bill asked.  Dipper turned to him with a raised eyebrow that clearly questioned what went through the demon’s head.  The demon’s expression became confused.  “Is that not the plural of cyclops?”  Silence stretched between them longer.  Dipper was once again distracted from the street lights.  Bill shrugged and moved on, deciding he would have to look into the plural form.  “Anyway, it changed to green a while ago, and then to yellow, and red again.”

 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Dipper asked in a frantic tone.

 

“I thought we were having a moment,” Bill replied with an almost innocent stare.  His human’s exasperated sigh suggested that he had not felt the same, or that he was upset with Bill again.  “Isn’t that how this bonding thing works?”

 

“We can bond over shopping,” Dipper said in a tired tone.  He rubbed at the bridge of his nose.  This was going to be a long trip.

 

“We should get one of those books that has words,” Bill suggested.

 

“All books have words in them, Bill,” Dipper informed while contemplating faceplanting into the steering wheel.

 

“No, I mean with the meaning of words!”

 

“Dictionary, you want a dictionary,” Dipper said with his same tired tone.  He internally cheered when the light finally changed.  “I can just look up the word for you on my phone.  I’ll show you later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly I am going to take a small hiatus from posting. It shouldn't be more than two weeks, but I just want to work up another stockpile of chapters.
> 
> gsv kolg gsrxpvmh rm gsv kzxrurx mligsdvhg


	24. I HATE BEING THAT GUY, BUT...

I really dislike making a "fake chapter" for this, but I also cannot in good conscious just leave the indefinite hiatus notes up without further explanation. I figured more people would come across this rather than in ICEW. There will also be a post on my tumblr. I won't go into much detail. That probably makes this worse, and I can only imagine how upset (read angry) this makes all of you. To be brief, I feel I need some time to sort out personal matters. During that time I am going dark as far as most internet/social outlets are concerned. I don't know how long it will take to get through this, or what will ultimately come of it. Just know that when I do return I plan to revise my current works. I wish you all the best.

 

 

 

Edit:

So, I'm editing this rather than making a new chapter here, again.  I am in a much better place mentally than when this was halted.  I just thought I would put this out there since I've seen others still finding and taking an interest in this story of mine.  I am currently reworking it and posting the updated chapters as part of a new work.  The rewrite as of this posting has twelve chapters.  It updates on weekends, usually Saturday into Sunday.  I hope it can find as much popularity as this version has.  I have kept with the ATBASH Ciphers at the end of each chapter for those interested.  I hope you will give it a chance, and let me know what you think comparatively or just in general.


End file.
